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Residents at a Launceston aged care home are using virtual reality (VR) technology to experience a whole world of wonder and reap wellbeing benefits in a new trial.
Tasmanian not-for-profit aged care provider OneCare has partnered with the Australian Red Cross and SilVR Adventures to bring immersive VR tours to residents at The Manor.
The programs are specifically tailored for older users, including bucket list adventures exploring global destinations, musical performances, wildlife experiences and wellness programs, as well as interactive content designed for users experiencing cognitive decline.
OneCare’s Regional Operational Services Manager Christopher Nobes said VR was an incredible tool for interaction and engagement, especially for older people with limited mobility.
“Residents are loving this new system that’s engaging, stimulating, and provides a shared experience that boosts social connection,” he said. “Imagine the bonding experience of strolling with your friends along the River Seine and stopping to marvel at the Eiffel Tower!
“They’re exploring new places and rekindling memories of favourite holidays. They’re telling families about their travels and connecting with tech-mad grandkids.
“Supplementing our real-world outings with VR experiences means all our residents, even those who are bed-bound, can go anywhere – it’s limitless.”
Jackie Sherriff, a Support Officer for the Red Cross Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme said it was the first time Red Cross had trialled the technology with Tasmanian aged care residents.
“Many were tentative at first, but we’ve run a few sessions now and watching the wonder, excitement and pure joy cross residents’ faces is incredible,” she said.
“It’s a real conversation starter, which is even more important than the VR experience. We talk about what residents saw and experienced, their past travels and where they’d like to go next. One resident was so immersed and excited during a Jane Goodall gorilla adventure, she felt she could almost touch the baby ape!
“It makes such an impact, and I love helping bring something so special to each resident’s day.”
SilVR Adventures Director Colin Pudsey said while VR in aged care provides entertainment and socialisation, there are also proven health and wellbeing benefits.
“We’ve developed our programs with academia and healthcare providers to ensure this therapy boosts memory and cognitive function, combats the social isolation that remains a problem post-COVID, and improve quality of life,” he said.
“We’re studying its effectiveness in enhancing psychosocial wellbeing, compared to traditional reminiscence therapy using 2D photos or videos.
“Family members can even create their own content, giving them another way of keeping in touch between visits. It also creates an additional point of connection with staff.”
OneCare aims to roll out the VR program to its five residential aged care facilities statewide.
Images courtesy SilVR Adventures.
