VIRTUAL REALITY

WHAT IS VIRTUAL REALITY AND WHY ARE AGED CARE PROVIDERS EMBRACING IT?

If you’ve been looking around at new ways to support your residents, chances are you’ve heard the words “virtual reality” being offered as a new idea. Maybe you’ve even seen pictures of people wearing headsets and waving their arms about.

But what is virtual reality, or VR, and why is it making such an impact in the aged care space?

IMMERSIVE BEYOND BELIEF

Virtual reality is a simulated environment that looks and feels incredibly realistic. A key tool for using VR is the headset, which allows you to explore this digital space by looking up, down, and all around you. Unlike a computer or tablet which has a fixed field view, virtual reality adapts to your head movements to immerse you in a rich 360-degree, 3D environment. This means that putting on a virtual reality headset feels like stepping into a completely different world. But the big question is, what can you do in this immersive virtual space?

THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE

The answer is: Anything you can imagine! For the adrenaline seekers, how about skydiving, swimming with dolphins, or racing in an F1 car? For those looking for a calmer escape, maybe chilling out on the beach, exploring a tropical rainforest, or visiting a museum? The technology is limitless, and it can even allow us to experience things that are impossible - a trip to Mars perhaps? Or walking around the interior of the Titanic? VR can make that happen too. That all sounds fun, but we’re talking about older adults here. Why would care providers be so keen to take their care recipients out of the four walls of a facility (virtually)?