Senior health care board game

Abstract

An educational board game has a board with a continuous outer path divided into a plurality of spaces and an inner path divided into sequential medical treatment phases, two markers each for a plurality of players and two dice for each player, one die being assigned to the outer path and the other to the inner path. Each player is assigned a different medical symptom and rolls the dice to move one marker around the outer path and the other around the inner path, through treatment steps unique to the assigned symptom for the sequential medical treatment phases of the inner path, the game being declared over when a player's markers first complete both paths and land on designated finishing locations.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a game having a board with a continuous outer path divided into a plurality of spaces, some with supplementary instructions, and an inner path divided into sequential medical treatment phases, wherein each player employs two markers and two dice, one of each being assigned to the outer path and the other to the inner path, comprising the steps of: 
 assigning a different medical condition to each player;    providing a condition specific menu of numbered treatment steps for each medical treatment phase;    rolling the dice;    moving the outer marker forward, around the outer path according to the number of spaces indicated by the outer die and forward or backward according to supplementary instructions, as applicable;    moving the inner path marker through the sequential medical treatment phases of the inner path according to numbered treatment steps indicated by the inner die; and    repeating the steps of rolling the dice and moving the markers until the movement around both paths is completed.    
     
     
         2 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1  wherein movement around both paths is completed by the steps of: 
 moving the player's outer path marker until it has passed around the outer path a predetermined number of times and come to stop on a designated finishing location;  
 moving the player's second path marker until it has passed through all of the sequential phase areas of the second path and come to stop on the designated finishing location;  
 retiring the die assigned to the marker that first stops on the designated finishing location;  
 casting, in turn, only the other path die and moving the other marker until it has also reached the designated finishing location so as to complete play; and  
 declaring the first player to complete play to be the winner.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1  and further including the step of selecting the medical condition from a group of conditions comprising at least osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart ailment and arthritis.  
     
     
         4 . A method for playing a game having a board with a continuous first path divided into a plurality of spaces and a second path divided into sequential treatment phases, wherein each player employs two markers and two dice, one of each being assigned to the first path and the other to the second path, comprising the steps of: 
 assigning a medical treatment menu comprising numbered treatment steps for a discreet medical condition to each player, with the treatment steps in groups corresponding to the sequential treatment phases of the second path;    placing a player's markers on designated starting locations on the paths;    casting both of the player's dice and noting the numbers indicated;    moving the player's first marker a number of spaces forward on the first path according to the number indicated by the first path die and, when stopping at the indicated spaces, receiving further instructions and moving the assigned marker forward or backward a specific number of spaces;    moving the player's second marker according to a numbered treatment step as indicated in that player's medical treatment menu by the second path die; and    casting the dice, by each player in turn, and moving both markers until a player's second path marker has completed movement through the second path.    
     
     
         5 . The method for playing a game according to  claim 4  and further comprising the steps of: 
 moving the player's first path marker until it has passed around the first path a predetermined number of times and come to a stop on a designated finishing location;  
 after the player's second path marker has passed around the second path, moving that marker from the second path to the first path, and thence in the same manner as the first marker, but according to the indication of the second path die, until the second path marker comes to stop on a designated finishing location;  
 retiring the die assigned to the marker that first stops on a designated finishing location;  
 casting, in turn, only the other die and moving the other marker until it has reached the designated finishing location so as to complete play; and  
 declaring the first player to complete play to be the winner.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a game of  claim 4  and further including the step of selecting the medical condition from a group of conditions comprising at least osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart ailment and arthritis.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for playing a game comprising: 
 a board having a continuous first path divided into a plurality of spaces which include spaces providing instructions for supplementary marker movements and a second path divided into sequential medical treatment phases;    a randomly arranged selection of cards;    two like, but visibly distinct markers for each of a plurality of players, a first marker being identified with the first path and the other, second marker with the second path;    two visibly distinct dice, one die being identified with the first marker and the other with the second marker; and    a medical treatment menu for each player, the menu having condition specific treatment steps for a discreet medical condition, the treatment steps being numbered and grouped in phases corresponding to the sequential medical treatment phases of the second path.