VIDEO. A senior residence organizes virtual reality trips to Toulouse
Equipped with virtual reality headsets, the elderly at the Domitys residence discover new regions of the world. With this innovation, travel is finally possible for these seniors restricted by the pandemic.
In a matter of seconds, Yvonne is making a one-way ticket from Toulouse to Tokyo. In the flowery streets of the Japanese capital, she walks. The visit is complete. From Mount Fuji, to the traditional alleyways of cherry trees, the octogenarian is amazed. For this senior, the trip to the land of the rising sun was made possible thanks to virtual reality. Without even leaving the comfortable armchairs of Domitys’ residence, she was able, in the space of a few minutes, to discover another continent.
“The hardest part is getting back to reality, I had the impression that the adventure was never going to end,” admits Yvonne, removing her immersive helmet. In the room of the residence near the Bonnefoy district, there are about ten of them to dive into this short trip. Japan, Alaska and Norway are now within their reach. “Most of the participants are elderly people who can no longer travel, usually for physical problems. We were with a resident, for example, who dreamed of traveling to Norway, but who was never able to achieve it, ”says Laure Casta, host of Domitys.
An opportunity to escape
With subversive music, detailed narration and augmented reality headsets, seniors are in full immersion. An opportunity to escape a little more from the difficult situation linked to the pandemic. What surprises the initiators of this project a little more is how the elderly received this connected event so well.
For Sébastien Gautier, the director of the residence, technology and seniors are not necessarily incompatible: “Today, we can take advantage of innovations and we have to share them with them. The elderly are more connected, but they do not always have the leisure to discover this type of technology ”. After these virtual reality trips, other fun activities are organized for seniors.