St Luke’s ElderCare, Singapore’s largest elder care provider, partners with SilVR Adventures.
St Luke’s ElderCare (SLEC), Singapore’s largest elder care provider, will bring virtual reality to older adults through the purchase of VR devices from SilVR Adventures.
SilVR Adventures is a Melbourne based company providing turnkey virtual reality solutions for care centers and community facilities. Their VR technology can connect up to 30 residents at once, allowing them to go to famous places, relive their past and engage in social situations. By sharing memories and stories, participants can strengthen relationships, reduce aggression, and increase their mental well-being.
The SLEC spokesman said: “As a healthcare provider with over 25 senior care centers across Singapore, a nursing home and active aging centres, we are constantly developing our premises and equipping them with technology to support active aging.”
We believe that introducing virtual reality to our elderly will improve their mobility and exercise their cognitive abilities, and this is particularly useful for people with dementia or at risk of developing dementia.”
Research has shown that loneliness and isolation contribute to poor well-being and significant health problems later in life (1). VR can help reduce anxiety symptoms, increase treatment acceptability and effectiveness, and give participants the confidence to engage by breaking down physical and mental barriers (2)(3).
It also helps evoke memories in people with dementia, reduce aggression, and improve interactions with staff (4).
Colin Pudsey, Founder of SilVR Adventures, said SilVR Adventures is excited to be partnering with St. Luke’s Eldercare as part of the company’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region.
“Loneliness, social isolation and cognitive decline among older people are growing global problems and we have demonstrated results in improving quality of life through meaningful and shared virtual reality experiences,” said Mr. Pudsey.
It is extremely exciting to bring joy and experiences to thousands of older adults in Singapore with the recent launch of our multilingual VR content solution.”
Mr. Pudsey will speak from Inside Aging at the Aged Care Innovators webinar on June 22 – register for the session here.
SilVR Adventures began in 2019 and has grown exponentially in ANZ during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns have left the elderly more isolated than ever. The company quickly adapted its technology to bring larger numbers of people together, no matter where they were.
SilVR Adventures was a past winner of Inside Aging’s Future of Aging Awards, a finalist in the 2021 InnovAgeing National Awards and the 2021 Eldercare Innovation Awards, and was named one of the 500 Best Startups Worldwide in 2021.
The company is currently conducting dementia research in partnership with Deakin University in Melbourne to explore the potential of virtual reality for people with mild dementia. In addition, the company has formed strategic partnerships with major organizations such as Optus, Amazon Web Services and La Trobe Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
To find out more visit: silvradventures.com.au
1: https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/its-the-worst-bloody-feeling-in-the-world-experiences-of-loneline
2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6823515/
3: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9345
4: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190509080035.htm
