Virtual reality technology lets long-term care residents experience different world
Global News
IH started using virtual reality in 2020 during the pandemic as a way to support people feeling isolated due to a lack of social interaction.
Gerald Hardychuk has used a wheelchair for 15 years.
The 50-year old Kelowna, B.C., man has multiple sclerosis (MS) and lives at the Cottonwoods Extended Care Home.
“Before he got his multiple sclerosis, he was incredibly active,” said Taryn Millway, Hardychuk’s sister. “He did so many things, physically and sports wise.”
But Hardychuk is now able to experience some of the things he used to love doing along with new things thanks to newly acquired technology.
“It’s called Rendever Virtual Reality (VR) and it is an immersive virtual reality platform,” said Lauren Knapton, one of the clinical rec therapists at Cottonwoods.
Virtual reality allows people to put on a headset and experience a vast range of activities — anything from travelling around the world and sightseeing to walking through a forest and extreme sports like skydiving and rock climbing.
The technology gives users as close of an experience as possible to the real thing.
“Fishing, hunting, kayaking, diving with dolphins, safaris, basically anything,” said Knapton.
