Eldpathy VR-erly Simulation Program

Using virtual reality videos in experiential activities to enhance participants’ understanding of the life of elderly living in residential care homes

Riding on the success of the scale-up project launched in 2016 with SIE Fund’s support, the team is rolling out another scale-up project. Virtual reality (VR) videos will be used in experiential learning activities to feature life in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHE). The objective is to enhance public awareness about elderly staying at RCHE and foster empathy towards them, as well as to attract more young people to join the elderly caring industry.

The venture will recruit the elderly and provide them with training on scriptwriting, video shooting, VR video production and post-production. The trained elderly will become voluntary tutors or paid project assistants to host VR experiential learning activities organised for secondary school students, nursing students and staff from corporates. Through the VR videos with simulations of feeling, tastes and smell, participants can “experience” the life of the elderly at RCHE. The elderly tutors and project assistants can also connect with the young generation and society through hosting the activities and sharing of their experiences.

• Recruited 30 elderly to become volunteers and hired another 6 elderly as tutors
• Filmed 10 VR videos related to residential care homes for the elderly (RCHE)
• Organised 147 VR trial activities at schools for 6 612 youths; and 72 corporate training activities
• Visited 5 elderly homes
• Completed a paper on illustrating the position and viewpoint on elderly care