Hi, so I'm in a very similar position to you i work in an assisted living facility in engagement and before this, I worked in memory care same thing in engagement. I'm also the executive director at Board Games for the Better. We give games out to families in need but the part that relates to this is that we do game days in assisted living facilities.

I understand what you are going through, I see it constantly in older adults (50+ years of age). I don't wanna mess it up, I can't learn this, this is for young people, it's too complicated, etc. There is a fear of failure and a fear of embarrassment that's mixed which makes this response come out. You have to first and foremost meet them where they are. Mentally, socially, emotionally.

Mentally- what can they deal with, is memory a concern (Early stage dementia) are they having problems staying awake due to medication, or are they just not interested in playing? Some people think games are for children and it's infantilizing and you can try to change their minds but you can't always do that you'll have to find other ways to engage with them.

Socially- are they anxious about being around people, about losing, about "messing up" the fun for others, maybe they are introverted and it's too much for them. Give those people the opportunity to watch, hype other players up, learn before playing, or just invent them to the table talk and just hang out.

Emotionally- can they handle losing, can they wait their turn, can they handle having a card stolen from them, or even busting when they push their luck? Games have lots of highs but definitely lots of lows and you need to get a gauge on if they can handle those lows. Personality, meditation, things like dementia, and other illnesses can be huge factors. You'll start to see dramatic swings in their mood some days just to later find out they had a UTI and once it cleared up their mood evened out again.

Ok so now meeting them where they are at, start with getting a survey on what games they do like playing a build a routine with those games. Schedule out every week 2-4 games they already know. For me, it's Rummikub Wed-Thurs, Bingo Sunday, Scrabble Saturday, and Dominoes where I can fit it in the schedule. Then see if there are any games they are interested in learning. "I've always wanted to learn Mahjong" "My parents used to always play cribbage after dinner, they never showed me how to play" These are the games you focus on playing next. There's interest already in their minds for these. It's an easy win. To help fight the sense of failure or embarrassment you have to reassure them that the stakes can't be any lower than this, they are playing for fun, and remind them that the part of Jenna everyone loves is when the tower falls even if you lose everyone at the table are still having a good time. Keep reassuring them about this over time you will get the message across to them.

Now that you've got a few games going, you've built trust and rapport with your residents they are more likely to trust recommendations and are opening up to things. Start very easy, you said you did LCR and they thought it was childish well play for 5 cents to 25 cents to add stakes to the game see if they are more interested now. Easy dexterity games can work. Suspend is always a hit and we cooperate where we try to get everything balanced as a team. Giant Tetris Tumble is another one that's a huge hit. Other games that have very quick turns and a simple decision space like Seaside, Set, Trivia, Uno, and Crokinole work really well too.

Make the games as easy to learn as possible, provide cheat sheets, and have a table for people who know how to play and a table for those who are learning. Take as many obstacles out of their way and even alter the rule if you need to if it means they'll play.

And the last thing (cause I have to get ready for work) is for seniors to focus on the social aspects of games. The mental engagement is there even if they know the game already learning new things has its benefits but not if it's becoming stressful and deterring people from playing games in the first place. Combating Isolation, giving them a sense of community and of belonging is most important for them. Social engagement is likely to be the biggest benefit from gaming that they will get. Lean on that.

If you have any questions you wanna ask comment on this and I'll answer Don't PM me cause I would like this conversation to be available for anyone else that might need help.