Ingrid Menezes gestures toward herself as she takes in the sight of an African wilderness.

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香蕉视频直播淲hat else do you see Ingrid?香蕉视频直播� asks Dorothy Laugo, a recreation assistant running the virtual reality session on a tablet as the duo sits side-by-side in a Toronto long-term care home.

The 71-year-old Menezes looks up, down and around, then points to the floor to the left of her wheelchair.

香蕉视频直播淚s this a rhinoceros?香蕉视频直播� she asks.

香蕉视频直播漎es,香蕉视频直播� Laugo says, smiling. But she knows what Menezes is looking forward to the most.

香蕉视频直播淚 think this is your favourite 香蕉视频直播� what do you see?香蕉视频直播� she asks.

香蕉视频直播淭he giraffe,香蕉视频直播� Menezes says, looking up. 香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 beautiful.香蕉视频直播�

After Laugo gently lifts the VR goggles from her head, Menezes says 香蕉视频直播淥h!香蕉视频直播� as her African safari disappears and she sees the other people in the common room.

香蕉视频直播淲elcome to the real world,香蕉视频直播� Laugo says.

Menezes moved to Kennedy Lodge in east Toronto after brain surgery about five years ago. She香蕉视频直播檚 one of a growing number of long-term care residents in Canada who are getting virtual reality as part of their recreation programs.

Proponents say the technology not only provides entertainment but can help reduce isolation by encouraging residents to share their virtual experiences with recreation staff, fellow residents and family members. The 15 to 20 minute sessions can also reach and comfort many long-term care residents with dementia, they say.

In an emailed statement, the Canadian Association for Long Term Care said it 香蕉视频直播渟upports technology like VR as an additional tool staff can use to enhance the quality of life and care for long-term care (LTC) residents.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淟ooking ahead to 2025, CALTC is prioritizing the rapid development of technology and its effective integration into LTC settings,香蕉视频直播� said Jodi Hall, the CEO of the association.

Sandra Morgan, Kennedy Lodge香蕉视频直播檚 program manager, said VR experiences must be tailored to each resident香蕉视频直播檚 likes and needs 香蕉视频直播� especially for those with dementia.

香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檝e got to know your resident. You can香蕉视频直播檛 just put a (VR) headset on your resident and choose (what they experience),香蕉视频直播� she said.

Morgan and her recreation staff keep lists of each resident香蕉视频直播檚 interests, as well as their likes and dislikes, to determine the best VR programs for each person. If someone doesn香蕉视频直播檛 respond well to animals, Morgan said, they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 use the African experience Menezes likes so much.

Morgan also encourages visiting family members 香蕉视频直播� especially grandchildren 香蕉视频直播� to join residents in VR experiences as a way to connect.

香蕉视频直播淚 always say, 香蕉视频直播極K you can use the VR. We香蕉视频直播檙e not going to be on our phone,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e going to interact with Grandma during this visit. And they香蕉视频直播檙e excited because it香蕉视频直播檚 their thing, it香蕉视频直播檚 VR.香蕉视频直播�

Laugo said higher-functioning residents benefit from using VR as a group, 香蕉视频直播漛ecause it allows them to share experiences and interact with each other in a more social environment.香蕉视频直播�

But for residents with dementia who aren香蕉视频直播檛 able to interact in the same way, she does one-on-one sessions. If residents are agitated, she chooses VR videos that provide 香蕉视频直播渃alm and serene environments (that) help reduce anxiety and also provides sensory stimulation.香蕉视频直播�

Babies, nature and beaches are popular VR experiences that can have a calming effect, Laugo said.

Baycrest Centre, a teaching and research hospital and long-term care provider in Toronto, often uses VR to help seniors tap into what they did when they were younger.

香蕉视频直播淲e have a resident who was a former scuba diver and so the program was taking him under the sea,香蕉视频直播� said Cyrelle Muskat, Baycrest香蕉视频直播檚 director of quality systems, wellness and culture.

香蕉视频直播淗is expression was one of joy. He was talking about how incredible that experience was talking to his family about it,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Many seniors also enjoy VR tours of cities, Muskat said.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 taking them to places that they otherwise would not be able to go to or experiences that they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be able to experience at this stage of their life,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Baycrest is actively researching whether or not VR can help reduce 香蕉视频直播渞esponsive behaviours香蕉视频直播� related to dementia, such as kicking, hitting, punching, spitting, grabbing or wandering.

The principal investigator for that study, Mara Swartz, said they held individual VR sessions with 10 residents who have dementia, as well as two others in the pre-pilot research phase.

The results were 香蕉视频直播減ositive,香蕉视频直播� she said, noting that she can香蕉视频直播檛 give more specifics until the study is submitted to a journal for publication next year.

But the key, she said, was matching the VR experience to the person.

香蕉视频直播淚 always went back to, as much as possible, what they were like, what they enjoyed and engaged in prior to the disease taking over.香蕉视频直播�

One resident with dementia used to be a pilot. When he was placed in the virtual cockpit of a Cessna plane, he reached for the controls.

香蕉视频直播淭hey were getting the plane ready to fly,香蕉视频直播� Swartz said.

When his VR headset came off, 香蕉视频直播渢here were smiles香蕉视频直播� and he stayed seated and engaged afterward, she said.

The VR programs for both Kennedy Lodge and Baycrest were bought from Rendever, a Boston-based virtual reality company specializing in health care and senior living.

The company has more than 150 clients in Canada, including long-term care homes in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia 香蕉视频直播� and the number continues to grow, said David Stoller, Rendever香蕉视频直播檚 vice-president of partner success.

Long-term care homes subscribe to the VR service monthly, and the cost varies depending on the amount of programming and the number of headsets provided, he said.

One of the most exciting applications is that the technology can create virtual trips to specific neighbourhoods and regions with the help of Google maps, and photos and videos uploaded by loved ones, Stoller said.

香蕉视频直播漌e can actually take them back to their childhood home. We can take them back to a restaurant where they used to have family celebrations. We can take them back to vacation destinations. We can take them to a church, a synagogue, a mosque where they got married,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e able to bring people back to those positive emotions that they associated with those experiences,香蕉视频直播� Stoller said.