Salford residents living with dementia are taking part in what the Salford Clinical Commissioning Group describes as ‘a revolutionary virtual reality rehabilitation pilot’, led by a local brain injury charity.
Thanks to £500,000 of donations, BASIC, a specialist brain injury charity, has installed a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN). Salford CCG explained: “This virtual reality system puts people at the helm of life-size interactive games and activities, exposing them to physically challenging environments without putting them in any real danger.”
Using CAREN, BASIC has launched a 12- month pilot, Virtual Adventures, thanks to over £23,000 of CCG funding, focusing on helping both physically and mentally 30 Salford residents living with mild/moderate dementia. The long-term goal is to determine whether people living with dementia can benefit from virtual reality.
Salford is reportedly the UK’s first city to make the equipment – which is currently used by both the US and Israeli armies to aid the recovery of injured soldiers – publicly available.
Wendy Edge, BASIC’s CEO, said: “I am proud that we are able to introduce this groundbreaking piece of technology to Salford, and look forward to seeing it improve the lives of residents living with mild/moderate dementia. Be it a walk through a forest, or skiing down a mountain, people involved in the Virtual Adventures programme are aided in recovery and rehabilitation in a fun, stimulating, and, most importantly, a completely safe environment.”
Dr Tom Tasker, Salford CCG’s clinical lead for mental health, said: “We were delighted to be in a position to fund this pivotal pilot scheme. Virtual Adventures enables the people involved in this pilot to exercise and receive rehabilitation in a totally safe and secure environment, where they can feel relaxed in their surroundings.”