Virtual Reality Coronation Takes Dementia Patients Down Memory Lane

Virtual Reality Headset – The Wayback

With the entry of a virtual reality (VR) headset, a 93 year old Daphne Padfield, who is a dementia victim in an English care home, had provided a window back in 1953 when Britain had crowned its new queen. Recalling the event of the coronation, Padfield stated that those events do not take place too often and she was privileged to watch the same.

The VR film that she viewed was the work of a project known as The Wayback, which had been developed for the purpose of activating memories together with emotions in individuals suffering from dementia in order to assist them in reengaging them with their relatives and care takers.

The planned series of the first film portrayed filmmakers together with a 170-strong volunteer cast recreating a street party that had been organised to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on June 2, 1953. Users had the opportunity of viewing the film on downloading a free app on their smartphone which could then be installed into an economical virtual reality - VR headset.

According to co-creator Andy Garnett who had lost a member of his family suffering from dementia, had stated that this invention was born out of frustration and he hoped that there could have been something at that point of time which could have assisted him together with his family through this complex time.

Interesting Technique

He further added that utilising VR seemed to be quite an interesting technique in creating a memory as well as trigger a bigger conversation. Victims tend to suffer from dementia when the brain is said to get damaged due to strokes or diseases like Alzheimer’s. They suffer from loss of memory together with issues with thinking, solving problems or language.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, a charity aid, it is said that in Britain, more than 850,000 people tend to suffer from some type of dementia and that number is estimated to increase to one million towards 2025. The Wayback, at Langham Court Dementia Home in Surrey, has been introduced for the relatives as well as carers for use with some residents. Director at the home, Sarah Chapman, had informed Reuters that the film aroused detailed recollection for those who had viewed it and mentioned that it was just amazing to see them so happy.

Assisting – Dementia

One of the senior researchers at a British dementia charity had received the VR technology as a resource of assisting those suffering from dementia though cautioned that the technology needed to be utilised with utmost care. Dr Karen Harrison-Dening, head of research and publications at Dementia UK had informed Reuters through email that for instance some people suffering from dementia experience what is known as misperceptions.

This could lead to confusion on which images seems to be real or not and could prove to disturb the victim. Filmmakers have the intention of making their next work around the 1966 soccer World Cup victory celebrations of England with a hope of expanding the VRproject to the other countries also.