Ingrid Menezes gestures toward herself as she takes in the sight of an African wilderness.

B次元官网网址淐ome on zebra, come,B次元官网网址� she says as she starts to pet the air above her lap.

B次元官网网址淲hat else do you see Ingrid?B次元官网网址� asks Dorothy Laugo, a recreation assistant running the virtual reality session on a tablet as the duo sits side-by-side in a Toronto long-term care home.

The 71-year-old Menezes looks up, down and around, then points to the floor to the left of her wheelchair.

B次元官网网址淚s this a rhinoceros?B次元官网网址� she asks.

B次元官网网址漎es,B次元官网网址� Laugo says, smiling. But she knows what Menezes is looking forward to the most.

B次元官网网址淚 think this is your favourite B次元官网网址� what do you see?B次元官网网址� she asks.

B次元官网网址淭he giraffe,B次元官网网址� Menezes says, looking up. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 beautiful.B次元官网网址�

After Laugo gently lifts the VR goggles from her head, Menezes says B次元官网网址淥h!B次元官网网址� as her African safari disappears and she sees the other people in the common room.

B次元官网网址淲elcome to the real world,B次元官网网址� Laugo says.

Menezes moved to Kennedy Lodge in east Toronto after brain surgery about five years ago. SheB次元官网网址檚 one of a growing number of long-term care residents in Canada who are getting virtual reality as part of their recreation programs.

Proponents say the technology not only provides entertainment but can help reduce isolation by encouraging residents to share their virtual experiences with recreation staff, fellow residents and family members. The 15 to 20 minute sessions can also reach and comfort many long-term care residents with dementia, they say.

In an emailed statement, the Canadian Association for Long Term Care said it B次元官网网址渟upports technology like VR as an additional tool staff can use to enhance the quality of life and care for long-term care (LTC) residents.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淟ooking ahead to 2025, CALTC is prioritizing the rapid development of technology and its effective integration into LTC settings,B次元官网网址� said Jodi Hall, the CEO of the association.

Sandra Morgan, Kennedy LodgeB次元官网网址檚 program manager, said VR experiences must be tailored to each residentB次元官网网址檚 likes and needs B次元官网网址� especially for those with dementia.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to know your resident. You canB次元官网网址檛 just put a (VR) headset on your resident and choose (what they experience),B次元官网网址� she said.

Morgan and her recreation staff keep lists of each residentB次元官网网址檚 interests, as well as their likes and dislikes, to determine the best VR programs for each person. If someone doesnB次元官网网址檛 respond well to animals, Morgan said, they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 use the African experience Menezes likes so much.

Morgan also encourages visiting family members B次元官网网址� especially grandchildren B次元官网网址� to join residents in VR experiences as a way to connect.

B次元官网网址淚 always say, B次元官网网址極K you can use the VR. WeB次元官网网址檙e not going to be on our phone,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to interact with Grandma during this visit. And theyB次元官网网址檙e excited because itB次元官网网址檚 their thing, itB次元官网网址檚 VR.B次元官网网址�

Laugo said higher-functioning residents benefit from using VR as a group, B次元官网网址漛ecause it allows them to share experiences and interact with each other in a more social environment.B次元官网网址�

But for residents with dementia who arenB次元官网网址檛 able to interact in the same way, she does one-on-one sessions. If residents are agitated, she chooses VR videos that provide B次元官网网址渃alm and serene environments (that) help reduce anxiety and also provides sensory stimulation.B次元官网网址�

Babies, nature and beaches are popular VR experiences that can have a calming effect, Laugo said.

Baycrest Centre, a teaching and research hospital and long-term care provider in Toronto, often uses VR to help seniors tap into what they did when they were younger.

B次元官网网址淲e have a resident who was a former scuba diver and so the program was taking him under the sea,B次元官网网址� said Cyrelle Muskat, BaycrestB次元官网网址檚 director of quality systems, wellness and culture.

B次元官网网址淗is expression was one of joy. He was talking about how incredible that experience was talking to his family about it,B次元官网网址� she said.

Many seniors also enjoy VR tours of cities, Muskat said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 taking them to places that they otherwise would not be able to go to or experiences that they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be able to experience at this stage of their life,B次元官网网址� she said.

Baycrest is actively researching whether or not VR can help reduce B次元官网网址渞esponsive behavioursB次元官网网址� related to dementia, such as kicking, hitting, punching, spitting, grabbing or wandering.

The principal investigator for that study, Mara Swartz, said they held individual VR sessions with 10 residents who have dementia, as well as two others in the pre-pilot research phase.

The results were B次元官网网址減ositive,B次元官网网址� she said, noting that she canB次元官网网址檛 give more specifics until the study is submitted to a journal for publication next year.

But the key, she said, was matching the VR experience to the person.

B次元官网网址淚 always went back to, as much as possible, what they were like, what they enjoyed and engaged in prior to the disease taking over.B次元官网网址�

One resident with dementia used to be a pilot. When he was placed in the virtual cockpit of a Cessna plane, he reached for the controls.

B次元官网网址淭hey were getting the plane ready to fly,B次元官网网址� Swartz said.

When his VR headset came off, B次元官网网址渢here were smilesB次元官网网址� and he stayed seated and engaged afterward, she said.

The VR programs for both Kennedy Lodge and Baycrest were bought from Rendever, a Boston-based virtual reality company specializing in health care and senior living.

The company has more than 150 clients in Canada, including long-term care homes in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia B次元官网网址� and the number continues to grow, said David Stoller, RendeverB次元官网网址檚 vice-president of partner success.

Long-term care homes subscribe to the VR service monthly, and the cost varies depending on the amount of programming and the number of headsets provided, he said.

One of the most exciting applications is that the technology can create virtual trips to specific neighbourhoods and regions with the help of Google maps, and photos and videos uploaded by loved ones, Stoller said.

B次元官网网址漌e can actually take them back to their childhood home. We can take them back to a restaurant where they used to have family celebrations. We can take them back to vacation destinations. We can take them to a church, a synagogue, a mosque where they got married,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e able to bring people back to those positive emotions that they associated with those experiences,B次元官网网址� Stoller said.