LIVING in the moment is a term often used when talking about caring for people with dementia.
Now a group of Melbourne aged care facilities is taking that theory one step further, using virtual reality technology to place residents wherever they want to be - from paddling down a river in Bali to swimming underwater in the Great Barrier Reef.
BlueCross Care trialled the virtual reality experience with residents at The Boulevar aged care facility in Mill Park, Victoria. The program has now been rolled out to more than 1700 residents at all its Melbourne facilities.
Staff introduced the technology to residents with dementia to enhance their wellbeing, mood and engagement.
It works using a smart phone, goggles and Bluetooth headphones, bringing a 360- degree immersive experience to the wearer.
Experiences that previously may have been outside a resident's reach, such as travel, adventure, aquatics, even classical concerts and theatrical performances, can be experienced from the comfort of their home.
BlueCross dementia specialist Bridget Howes said the residents enjoyed the experience, which had also been shown to help reduce responsive behaviour.
"For example, we had one lady who would regularly get up and try to leave, shaking the door," she said.
"Through bringing her back in and giving her the virtual reality set she would refocus and forget she was trying to leave and become calm."
BlueCross worked with BuildVR to develop theSolis aged-care specific virtual reality system and plans to introduce more "destinations" and use Google Maps to take residents to places they are familiar with.
"It's early days and we're still learning but the potential is massive," Ms Howes said.
Staff and family can also enjoy the virtual reality experience, watching simultaneously on another device or screen.
- 1300-133-414, www.bluecross.com.au
