The Sky in a Room
Italian RSA
Target
Elderly residents in retirement homes
Project TypeVirtual Reality
ScopeNo profit
Overview
A virtual reality application designed to provide residents of nursing homes with an "escape" to a place they are particularly fond of.
Challenge
Improving the mood of elderly individuals, often isolated or with reduced mobility.
Solution
A VR application offering residents of nursing homes the opportunity to "escape" the facility's walls and explore any part of the world in a completely immersive way, providing the sensation of being right there.
The project
How can we improve the lives, or even just the days, of elderly individuals, often isolated or with limited mobility? From this question arose the idea of the project "The Sky in a Room": a virtual reality application allowing nursing home residents to explore any part of the world, any country, any street, in a completely immersive manner, generating the sensation of being right there. A way to "escape" the facility's walls and return to moving around the world, visiting dreamed or beloved places, and freeing emotions.
About the design
Technologies like virtual reality can indeed have physical, mental, and social benefits for the elderly, including:
- Keeping the brain active - VR helps strengthen neural connectors supporting sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities, thereby improving cognition.
- Encouraging movement - while exploring new places in virtual reality, movement is a natural reaction. This leads to improvements in physical health, engagement of the upper trunk, neck, and core, arm movement, and reduced perception of physical pain.
- Promoting social inclusion and sharing - VR can be used individually or in a group setting. Elderly individuals can thus go on "virtual outings" to visit new places or experience new activities together. This facilitates socialization, promotes a sense of belonging, boosts self-esteem, and strengthens physical and mental health.
- Bringing memories to light - for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, virtual reality can provide comfort by evoking memories from the past.
- Reducing pain - virtual reality can alleviate physical pain and help manage chronic illnesses by providing distraction during medical procedures that are uncomfortable or induce anxiety.
- Strengthening relationships and preventing isolation - virtual reality can provide a fun and interactive activity that families can engage in when visiting their loved ones. Virtual reality can be particularly engaging for grandchildren and helps foster intergenerational connections.