NeuronsVR is a technology system that provides aged care residents living with dementia access to a library of programs including armchair travel, animal therapy and group activities, experienced through a set of goggles to enhance their mental and physical wellbeing.

Before her passing, volunteer Joan Moyle gave her time to supporting residents with dementia at Calvary Flora McDonald’s Memory Support Unit (MSU), and her generosity of spirit and care for those residents will now live on through the addition of this technology at the home.

Calvary’s General Manager Aged Care, South Australia, Ryan Midgley said he was very grateful for the donation, and the estate were delighted that it was funding the introduction of the technology for the home.

“I’m really interested in technology that enhances and enables better outcomes for those living with dementia and this virtual reality system will really make a difference to those in the MSU at Flora McDonald," he said.

A few months back, some residents had the opportunity to test out the technology, including one woman celebrating her 95th birthday with a virtual classical music concert.

“When we took the googles off her she was crying her eyes out about her wonderful experience,” Mr Midgley said.

“For families and staff they then reap the benefits of sitting with the resident who talks about their experience, this is because the virtual reality opens up neural pathways enabling them to either have a conversation about what they have experienced or recall memories. The therapeutic benefits are just fantastic.”

While residents will be able to choose individual virtual experiences, the unit includes six headsets to also enable group therapy for the MSU residents.

Calvary Flora McDonald staff, as well as lifestyle coordinators from all other Calvary aged care homes in South Australia, will receive training to support residents and carers using the virtual reality technology.

“We’d love to have a unit at every home, but for now we’ll work to share this unit with our other homes,” Mr Midgley said.

In another step to enhance the care of those living with dementia, staff across all Calvary aged care homes in South Australia will soon undertake the D-Esc training program run by Dementia Australia. This is specifically about teaching strategies to recognise emotional and physical signs of escalation and understand how stress affects a person with dementia.