UBC IDEA Lab Welcomes International Collaboration on Virtual Reality for Older Adults

UBC IDEA Lab had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Věra Suchomelová and Dr. Karolina Diallo from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Invited by Dr. Lillian Hung and arranged by the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, their visit focused on the innovative use of Virtual Reality (VR) to enhance the lives of older adults in long-term care facilities and community care settings.

Dr. Suchomelová and Dr. Diallo were warmly welcomed by family partners Lily Wong, Dr. Jim Mann, LL.D., Dr. Ben Mortenson, Dr. Lillian Hung and students from diverse fields. Joey Wong and Lily Haopu Ren, presented two of our current projects: Co-Create VR in Hospital and Long-Term Care. The discussions that followed highlighted the commonalities and differences in VR programs across our countries, enriching our understanding and collaboration in this field.

The next day, Dr. Suchomelová delivered a compelling hybrid seminar titled “Virtual Reality in Keeping Seniors Active”, where she shared insights from her team’s work deploying VR in long-term care homes in the Czech Republic. The seminar sparked engaging discussions, with participants eager to explore the potential of VR in senior care.