Virtual Reality at Whittington House

Whittington House Nursing Home residents have been taking part in a virtual experience here at our home in Cheltenham.Residents wear a headset which allows them a 360-degree view of a location from a point-of-view perspective and it is able to follow their head movements, making it a fully immersive experience.This is all controlled and displayed by a handheld mobile allowing the Activities Coordinator to chat with residents about what they’re seeing and experiencing.Now that we have trialled the equipment and it has been a success, we will start using virtual reality as a reminiscence tool, as it great for bonding and provoking conversations.Resident James commented:“It is wonderful like being there, it’s a wonder what technology has achieved. It’s the way of the future.”The residents were able to have new experiences such as being on a roller coaster, deep sea diving, going into space, seeing the Northern Lights, and flying an aeroplane, to name just a few.Activities Coordinator, Jenny Spencer said:“The reactions of the headset when first introduced in the home was quite mixed. Some of our residents eagerly embraced the technology while other residents were a little unsure at first.“Once it was explained and demonstrated, the residents were overjoyed to be transported to another world complete with sound”.There are many health benefits to this technology such as helping to decrease the levels of anxiety and stress in some giving them a chance to relax.The headset also provides a change of scenery which can help elevate low mood especially for anyone who has limited mobility.Whittington House Nursing Home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire is a modern, purpose-built home and provides residential, nursing and specialist dementia care for up to 66 people.If you would like to find out more about life at Whittington House, or would like to speak to a member of our team, please contact us on 0808 223 5396 or [email protected].[gallery size="medium" ids="20270,20269,20268,20266,20265"]