Red Cross brings the world to Autumn Lodge and Cedar Place

This month Autumn Lodge residents, have been lucky enough to travel around the world, with the help of SilVR technology, provided by the Red Cross. Via three-dimensional virtual reality headsets, residents can access various parts of the globe and experience different times in history.

On their first tour Autumn Lodge residents saw tulips in Holland, Notre Dame, the Taj Mahal and Alaska. Even cows up close in fields.

“It looks so real,” one resident said, as she reached to touch one.

The Red Cross have many different tours that they can load onto the headsets from visiting Ancient Egypt, touring an African safari, to the Australian outback.

Paula Watson, Red Cross Coordinator at Kempsey said, “I’ve had people ask for specific things they’d like to see – one lady wanted to see the home she grew up in and a couple asked to see the church they were married in.”

With the SilVR technology, these requests were made possible, delighting the residents. It gives people an opportunity to see things they never thought they might be able to see again – or experiencing a place they never dreamed they would ever see.

Red Cross offers this service from Newcastle to Tweed Heads to aged care facilities. In Kempsey, Cedar Place, has been using the SilVR headsets since October last year.

“Some residents have enjoyed it so much they have gone on over ten tours,” said Chris Tunnicliffe, Recreational Activity Officer at Cedar Place. “Journeys have been made everywhere – from seeing natural wonders, like the Northern Lights, visiting the Eiffel Tower, and even time travelling, and exploring the 1950s.”

The technology means residents, who have reduced mobility or are bed bound, can experience the sights and sounds, as if they were travelling there. It is a wonderful addition to the great list of activities offered to residents and Autumn Lodge and Cedar Place are very grateful to Red Cross for providing the resources.