Residents at Whitecraigs Care Home, Glasgow, have been given the chance to see penguins in the Antarctic, snow-capped mountains and the Tokyo skyline at night, all without leaving the comfort of their arm chair.
Pupils from Crookfur Primary School have been visiting the home to introduce residents to virtual reality, allowing them to see beautiful landscapes, wildlife and historical monuments from the surroundings of the care home.
The exciting initiative was set up by the home’s Activity’s Coordinator after a member of the team mentioned they had purchased a VR headset for playing computer games, and it would be an excellent addition to the busy schedule of activity for residents.
This led the home’s activities coordinator to approach Crookfur Primary to establish a programme sharing the pupils’ VR equipment and skills with the home’s residents while giving them the chance to socialise with the young people
The weekly visits, which see five and six-year old P2 students spending the morning helping the elderly tech-wizards to use VR headsets, have been a hit with residents and pupils alike.
Many participants have found that the immersive technology takes them back to their youth.
Hannah, aged 88, said:
“I was looking at a landscape in the countryside. It reminded me of home. I felt as though I was back in the good old days, running through the fields.”
Ramsey, aged 95, said:
“I could see a beautiful rose garden in one of them and the other one I was looking at penguins playing in the snow. I loved seeing these things. It reminded me of being at Edinburgh zoo with my family, where we would always go and see the penguins.”
Annmarie Porter, manager at Renaissance Care’s Whitecraigs Care Home, said:
“Our residents absolutely love using the VR headsets, it’s become a really popular highlight of the week. They’re able to learn about new technology while being immersed in sights they wouldn’t usually be able to see.
“It brings back memories of their younger days, and it helps them to tell the pupils about their lives before they came to the home. It’s also really important for young people to spend time with the elderly. They can teach them new skills and and form lasting friendships that our residents look forward to each week.”
Huge thanks to Renaissance Care for sharing is fantastic example of technology being used to provide residents with new experiences and enhance their wellbeing. You can read more of their good news stories at https://www.renaissance-care.co.uk/news/
Renaissance Care was founded in 2004 by executive chairman Robert Kilgour. It operates 14 care homes across Scotland, with over 1000 staff and close to 700 beds. Whitecraigs Care Home is located in Thornliebank and has over 50 beds.
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