A Toolkit for Older Adult Centered Virtual Reality Programs
Welcome to Our Virtual Reality Toolkit for Older Adults!
Hey there! We’re thrilled to have you here. Our virtual reality toolkit is designed with love and care to help improve the lives of older adults living with dementia. We know how important it is to keep things engaging and enjoyable, so we’ve put together a set of easy-to-use tools that make it simple to create immersive VR experiences tailored just for them. The combined efforts of the Co-Create VR project teams, hospital staff, family/patient partners, and older adults have brought this toolkit to fruition!
Whether you’re a care partners, a healthcare professional, or just someone who wants to make a difference, this toolkit is for you. Dive in, explore, and create some wonderful moments together for those who need them the most. Thanks for stopping by, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need a hand getting started!
Two Examples of how we used the ToolKit
1. Examples of using Conversation Prompts –
Team member: “So you have been to the [San Francisco] bridge before? Can you tell me more?”
Patient: “Yeah, because I always travel with this company who makes beds. But now I am retired”
Team member: “Oh so you were a technician of this company?”
Patient: “Yeah”
Team member: “So next time we come to you, what other videos would you like to see?”
Patient: “Whatever…I like watching movies”
2. Example of using GoPro with engagement of residents to create video –
Available Tools At a Glance (Click to Download):
Description of Tools:
Choosing a virtual reality device:
This VR tool is designed to help you choose the device that best meets your specific needs. It offers a detailed comparison of two types of projectors and a VR headset, highlighting the unique trade-offs of each system based on different use cases. Our goal is to provide clear guidance to support your decision-making process.
Choosing an aromatherapy method:
The aromatherapy tool guides you in selecting the ideal aromatherapy method for your needs. It provides an overview of three popular aromatherapy modalities, each of which can be customized to suit your preferences and wellness goals.
Creating a multisensory experience:
The multisensory experience tool offers guidance on creating a multisensory experience that integrates virtual reality with aromatherapy, engaging the visual, auditory, and olfactory senses. Additional senses can also be incorporated based on personalized design choices, allowing for a fully tailored experience.
Presenting virtual reality video options to older adults:
Here is an sample layout for a virtual reality “video menu,” featuring video titles, aromatherapy scent options, and video thumbnails to give a better preview of each video’s content. Our team used this menu to explain options for older adults during try out sessions.
Equipment safe using and cleaning
This resource compiles essential information on infection control for VR headsets, tailored for use in acute and long-term care settings. It’s especially valuable for environments that serve vulnerable populations, ensuring safe and hygienic VR experiences.
Virtual Reality care plan:
Older adults may not always be able to express their interests in a way that healthcare staff can understand. To mitigate the impact of high staff turnover on the virtual reality experiences of older adults, this care plan can be used to keep track of topics of interest to specific individuals.
Video filming guide – GoPro:
This tool presents a user friendly guide on filming virtual reality videos with a GoPro camera.
