University of Kent: Unlocking Memories with VR
Reuters reports on groundbreaking research conducted in the UK between the University of Kent and St Andrew’s Healthcare in which eight patients living with dementia were presented with a series of virtual reality experiences meant to recall fond memories from their own lives. Following the excursions into a given Virtual Reality (VR) environment, leads from the University’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts noted that participants experienced both immediate and residual benefits to their sense of well-being. From increased communication with caregivers to improved recall of their pasts, the virtual experiences seem to stimulate positive brain functioning in ways that other therapies cannot.
Assignment Idea: Empathetic Appreciation
Description
Questions following the experience:
- How did the experience this change your view of those with dementia?
- If you were a caregiver or nurse of someone with dementia, what would you do differently with caring for them after this experience?
- What questions about dementia did this experience make come to mind?
Subject Areas
Human Development and Family Studies, Kinesiology, Nursing, Physical Therapy
Deliverables
- a blog post on your experience of A Walk Through Dementia and your impressions of the experience
- an essay explaining another scenario you would add, why and how it would aid in understanding those with dementia further
- storyboard of this scenario as a visual interpretation
- short video pitching a medical office, nursing home, etc to integrate A Walk Through Dementia as a training of their staff to better serve their dementia patients (optional)
- a brainstorm session on potential tools for aiding a dementia patient with safety, care given, etc
- a technical writing piece about what was uncovered by describing something you could invent