Future studies on gambling in the elderly
should compare the effects of activities that
require assistance with those that do not to
evaluate whether social assistance or interactions
with young non staff members contribute to
levels of happiness. In addition, studies involving
gambling and residents of nursing homes
could incorporate other types of games and
measures to further evaluate a potential beneficial
relation between the two variables. For
example, a casino night could be implemented
in the nursing home, and happiness levels as
well as positive social interactions could be
measured. Lastly, because the current data
showed that various durations of the simulated
gambling activity did not differentially affect
levels of happiness, future studies could examine
other parameters of the gaming task such as
type, frequency, or manner of presentation.
In conclusion, we have reached a point in our
society when medical advances are making it
possible for people to live much longer than
they did even a few decades ago (Baltes &
Smith, 2003). However, additional research is
needed to identify factors that promote mental
and emotional well-being during these later
years of life.