VR Cube Gives St. Therese Villa Residents New Experiences
Residents at St. Therese Villa have been using an immersive virtual reality (VR) system to explore new and familiar places and take part in interactive games without wearing VR headsets.
The Vircube Flexi projects 270 degrees around a cube, allowing residents to feel immersed in what they see and hear. The system was purchased through a grant from the Centre for Ageing and Brain Health Innovation.
The headset-free system has provided a way for residents to take part in VR activities without using equipment that can be unfamiliar or frightening for some seniors.
Rebecca Ellis, a 43-year-old resident at St. Therese Villa, has a rare neurological disorder called hypomylinating neuropathy. Because of her disability, she did not have the opportunity to play video games while growing up.
The Vircube has allowed Ellis to play games. She does not use her hands very much and said she could not hold a remote. The controls can instead be clipped to her wrist, allowing her to use her arms during the activities.
Ellis has identified yoga as her favourite Vircube activity. She uses it as a relaxing activity that helps her manage anxiety. She has described becoming very anxious when sitting and doing nothing, while using the Vircube helps her relax her mind and return her attention to what is happening around her.
Many residents at St. Therese Villa also have fewer opportunities to travel as freely as they once did. The Vircube allows them to revisit favourite places and explore destinations they might not otherwise be able to visit.
Heather Larocque, an activity assistant at St. Therese Villa, has noticed positive changes in residents’ demeanour since the Vircube was introduced. She said the system brings back a sense of freedom and quality of life that may be missing at times.
The Vircube has also given staff opportunities to have conversations with residents that they may not otherwise have had as residents reminisce about places they have visited.
Bonnie Thompson, a resident at St. Therese Villa, has used the VR screen to revisit memories from her past. One experience reminded her of a trip to Banff involving her daughter and friends from Brazil who had come to live with the family.
Thompson recalled that the first trip they made after the friends arrived was to Banff. The visitors were astonished by the snow and mountains because they did not have those where they came from.
Watching the VR screen brought back those memories for Thompson and gave her an opportunity to reminisce about the trip.
Staff can also add their own videos to the Vircube, as well as videos showing other travel destinations. The added content allows residents to explore city sites and other destinations that they would not necessarily be able to visit otherwise.
The system has therefore been used for a range of activities at St. Therese Villa, including games, yoga, and virtual travel. It has also provided residents with opportunities to revisit familiar places and memories while giving staff another way to engage them in conversations about their experiences.
Through the Vircube, residents can view places they have visited before and see destinations that may otherwise be beyond their reach. Staff can continue adding videos to give residents access to additional locations through the system.
