Turning Virtual Into Reality

400,000 Australians will be diagnosed with a form of dementia by 2020. What if one of them is someone you love? What if you could help them realise a life-long dream and tick something off their ‘bucket list’?

Put yourself in the shoes of someone with dementia. Imagine that your entire life—everything you’ve seen, felt, touched and experienced—was slipping away.

Then imagine you could put on a headset and be anywhere. Imagine you could visit a tropical beach under a bright summer sun, or stand on a mountaintop in a swirl of snow. Or perhaps you could experience what it’s like to go scuba-diving or paragliding for the first time.

“Many of the residents who live in our communities have been diagnosed with a form of dementia,” says Annie Gibney, Director of Residential Aged Care at Wesley Mission Queensland.

“Nationally, projections indicate that around 400,000 Australians will be diagnosed with a form of dementia by 2020, and already more than 1.2 million Australians are involved in caring for someone with dementia, so this is a situation that is only going to increase.”

Bronwyn, Leisure and Lifestyle Coordinator at Emmaus Village aged care community in Chermside, has been trialing VR with residents for the last 12 months, with great results.

“It allows people to simply be ‘in the moment’,” she explains.

“People living with dementia can struggle to focus or maintain an interest in things, but with these headsets on, they can be immersed in an experience. They don’t have to read anything, and if they look away, they just find something new to look at instead.”

Overall, Bronwyn says the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “I’ve seen some of our residents reaching up to catch snowflakes, with big smiles on their faces. Some of them have commented that they’d never been to the snow before; for them, the experience felt real.”

One resident, Doreen, takes a virtual tour of an underwater paradise. “Can you see the turtle?” Bronwyn asks her, and Doreen sits forward in her chair, swivelling her head from side to side.

“Yes!” she exclaims after a moment, pointing upwards to where she sees a large sea turtle swimming lazily near the surface. “He’s up there. I’ve found him. He’s a big one.”

“Did you enjoy that, Doreen?” Bronwyn asks once Doreen has removed her headset.

“Oh yes, it was wonderful,” Doreen replies with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“The response from families has been fantastic as well,” Bronwyn says. “Seeing how their loved ones are reacting and enjoying themselves is a really positive thing.”

Wesley Mission Queensland is driven by the Eden Alternative™ Philosophy of care to find new and innovate ways of supporting residents and providing rich, meaningful experiences that overcome physical limitations.

Right now, Wesley Mission Queensland are raising funds to supply five VR headsets for their residential aged care communities, and they'd love your help!

Each unit costs around $2,800, and comes loaded with a dozen different experiences and adventures for residents to explore.

“We receive no funding whatsoever for these kinds of initiatives, but it’s exactly these opportunities that our residents deserve,” Ms Gibney says.

“Having a diagnosis of dementia should never discount someone from having a new experience and recapturing some of the life they enjoyed before.”

Your financial gift today, from as little as $28, will contribute towards a VR headset and help those living with dementia tick off their bucket list items.

Find out more about Wesley Mission Queensland.