Dementia Australia has launched an immersive dining experience designed to help aged care care workers improve the dining experience of people living with dementia.
The three-hour 'Dine with Ted' training workshop uses virtual reality (VR) and avatar technology to see the dining experience through the eyes of someone living with dementia.
The VR experience, which is suitable for both residential aged care and home care workers, shows how physical, environmental, and communication factors can cause changes in behaviour.
The technology and principles behind the training are "world class", according to Dementia Australia.
“Dine with Ted (VR) responds to the upcoming strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards around dining experiences for people living in Aged Care, as they have an elevated importance," said Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan.
Dementia Australia now has a range of VR training tools. After experiencing 'Dine with Ted', Rachel Mead, Regional Quality and Improvement Manager (South) with Regis Aged Care, said the VR environment was a realistic representation of the day-to-day work involved in providing a dining experience for residents.
“The technology used can really transport people to capture different perspectives. It was eye opening,” Rachel said.
You can find out more here.
