Dementia residents in Southern England are witnessing a unique type of therapy in the form of virtual reality.
Relaxing environments
Tribemix, a virtual reality company that focuses on working with clients on a variety of projects, recently worked alongside Hertfordshire based care company Quantum Care to allow its residents to try out a special piece of virtual reality software designed for those with dementia.
Residents were visited by staff from Tribemix and encouraged to use the virtual reality software. Residents who wished to participate in the experience were given the option to select one of three different environments to explore: a beach, a forest or a coral reef.
Upon selection, residents were greeted with calm relaxing environments as well as features to interact with, for example, a donkey would walk around in the beach environment, or dolphins could be seen swimming in the coral reef.
The scenes were specially designed by Tribemix staff to allow residents a form of escapism and relaxation, as well as also providing a way to combat the negative effects of dementia, such as depression and anxiety.
Humble beginnings
The project began when Tribemix Managing Director, Alex Smale, wanted to provide a way to help elderly people ‘get outside’, despite their disability preventing them so.
After seeing the negative effects an inability to go outside was causing Mr Smale’s neighbours,Stan and Dulcie, he decided to look into how he could develop his virtual reality to help people like them.
While Tribemix was working with commercial clients who wished to use virtual reality for various projects, Mr Smale was also creating a virtual reality program to help those unable to go outside.
Once the program was completed, he contacted a friend from Quantum care to ask if they would be interested in letting their residents use the software as a way to help them experience the outdoors. After a few more calls, Tribemix were able to bring the program to the residents.
“The results have been amazing and it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever been fortunate enough to do,” said Mr Smale.
Positive effects
The residents at Quantum care also seemed to agree with Mr Smale’s statement. One resident, Ann, was moved to tears by how amazing it was she could experience visiting a beach again, much like she used to as a child.
“This is happy tears by the way,” she said.
“This is magic what you do. I know it’s cameras, but it’s magic.”
Another resident, who also explored the beach scene, described it as “magical”.
“I really enjoyed that. I felt like I was back in Scotland again. It really took be home”, she said.
“You’ve no idea what that’s done for me.”
Further plans
Tribemix is now continuing to work with Quantum Care to help roll out the virtual reality program to more of its care homes in the area.
The virtual reality company has also said it is now currently working on another program, one that will help home carers and relatives better understand what it is like to live with dementia.
And while there is no word if, in Bondi Junction, dementia therapy could soon involve the use of virtual reality, many are excited at the prospect.
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Exceptional experience throughout and highly recommend.Amanda and staff were always courteous and respectful.The benchmark in professionalism and what a provider should attain to. Love you all and thank you :)
The work environment as a whole is fantastic, so supportive and understanding not just for the clients but the staff also. Our director is so uplifting and provides such excellent support and training. As a disability support worker myself I can honestly say I am privileged to work amongst such a wonderful team!
am extremely pleased with the services provided by Home Caring . Their comprehensive approach, expertise, and dedication to meeting the unique needs of individuals with disabilities have made a significant difference in the lives of many. The team’s professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine care for their clients are commendable. I highly recommend Home Caring to anyone seeking exceptional support and services for disabilities.”
After so many years of changing support workers and NDIS company now I can certainly say that this Home caring Hills District is one of the best NDIS providers and best people that I’ve came across, so professional with their work and so understanding. Thank you Home Caring Hills District to make our life so easy and happy again
Thank you very much to this team. Two years ago, my husband suffered a severe stroke due to cerebral hemorrhage. He needed 24-hour care. Our daughter was only 2.5 years old at the time. When my husband came home from the hospital, I was very worried about his life after returning home. I felt very uneasy and hesitant. Fortunately, I got introduced by the hospital social worker and came into contact with Hill district home care , I can’t imagine how our future life would continue without this team. Fortunately, our current team is very caring and takes good care of my husband. , treat us like family and get along well with each other. I have heard many cases. I know that many people who need to be taken care of do not necessarily find a suitable team, but I recommend you to believe in this team. I am grateful to this team for regaining our confidence. , return to normal life
As a very proud team member of Homecaring Rockhampton, I can say without a doubt, all round, they are absolutely amazing in all areas of client focus and care and certainly led by the Finest. This organisation oozes with Professionalism and always performs at its full potential. So honoured to wear the Homecaring logo daily and so grateful to be given the golden opportunity to offer the ultimate care and assistance to our very valuable clients.
Happy to be under the care of Home Caring...my wife and I are pampered and communication is 100%. We feel we are in safe and caring hands. Thank you guys....
I am so happy to have Home Caring Redland Bay. Lee The principal of the company is a loving and caring person and is available to speak to if you need something done. Communication with staff and Lee are lovingly heard and extras are efficiently fixed. The interest is always the clients first. I highly recommend them
A professional company. The owner is very compassionate and caring. Very supportive of all her clients in reaching their goals. Provides a fantastic service for all her aged care and disability clients. Great Leader.
Great aged care provider, the team at Home Caring Tranmere provide excellent service. They are very friendly and communicate well. Highly recommend Home Caring Tranmere!
Carers are pleasant and courteous. Willingness to help in any way. Will find things which need to be done without being asked.The kindness coupled with great competence.
My husband was very happy with the care he's receiving from Home Caring Dandenong. All his needs are being met & the carers were excellent. They were hard working, respectful & very friendly. His Case Manager, Jyoti, is wonderful. She does everything to make my husband happy & contented. I highly recommend their service.
Extremally satisfied with all the care provided. Careers are excellent caring. Always ensuring the needs of the client above and beyond duty of care. would highly recommend their service.
The service we have received from Renee Smith, Home Caring Shoalhaven Manager, has been nothing short of outstanding. Her commitment, dedication, and genuine concern for her clients has been incredible and greatly appreciated by my family. Nothing is ever too much - whether by text or email, she is always available, and will do everything she can to answer our questions (or will seek further information if she needs to). I know of many other families in my situation and none receive the support Renee has consistently provided us with. She has advocated on my father's behalf and helped us to navigate the aged care system with its myriad of rules and regulations. When there is so much complexity involved in caring for an elderly and vulnerable parent, having someone who provides both assistance and compassion is essential in making a difficult time a little easier. I cannot speak more highly of Renee and all that she has done to help my family - she has gone above and beyond.
Can't recommend Renee and her team at Home Caring enough. They take great care of my mother-in-law and always keep us informed, which is a great comfort to us as we live 5hrs away.Thank you for your continued support !
Renee is awesome. She really takes the time to listen to what we need to support our teenage son, and find a support worker that is a good fit. She is caring and understanding and I can't recommend her services highly enough!
Home Caring Shoalhaven has been my provider for some time now, the services they provide are excellent. Renee my manager is a wonderful lady and readily available when i need her and keeps me up to date on any changes in the system. My personal carer Julie is a wonderful lady and we have developed a very nice relationship. i would be happy to recommend them to anyone.
Home caring in Armadale, have been fantastic for my Mum. Florence and Desiree have gone out of their way to make her feel comfortable and at ease. Their staff are polite, caring, friendly and professional, and always very prompt when returning emails and phone calls.
I cannot speak more highly of Home Caring Tranmere or their Director Annie T. We are new to the system and this is the most positive we have felt in a long time. We no longer feel like a number. Annie answers any questions promptly. We are at last receiving wonderful help inside and outside our home. Thanku Home Caring...the name is exactly what you do.
Home Caring Tranmere South AustraliaFantastic service with caring staff and Annie Tsoumbris, the Director is amazing. So helpful and caring. We had to switch from another Home Care package provider as they cancelled our Dad's contract but Annie was so happy to take on Dad's case and always showed true compassion. I would definitely recommended Home Caring Tranmere!!!
I can’t thank these nurses enough for helping with my dad I would highly recommend them to anyone that needs help with a family member what an amazing service thank you soo much
Such a wonderful blend of professional business practice and caring of clients. Safety and wellbeing prioritised; social to medical. Thank you Lee-Anne. Highly recommended.
The flexibility and responsiveness of this service is amazing. They truly understand putting the customer first and go above and beyond in helping my friend achieve her goals and live a quality life. Would highly recommend this service if you want control and choice when using NDIS supports to achieve your goals.
When it comes to NDIS and customer service, these guys are the place to go. Their key focus is customer service and they really go that extra mile to keeping their clients happy and ensuring they find the most suitable staff to get the best results out of their clients. 100% happy customer, 6mths later. Communication is key.
Moved from ANHF on the prospect that Home Caring would be more flexible and quicker.Initially, good but Dementia Caring has grown and there is more management. They are now slower in decision making and less flexible.Probably should have stuck with ANHF as at least they have a larger staff pool.
Signed up with HomeCaring/Dementia Caring last year with with the Smithfield branch on behalf of a relative. Whilst their fees were not the cheapest, they were a small home care provider that promised a lot and flexible to deal with.Initially, they were reasonable.Home Caring has grown and they now have a larger management team. For the client, this has equated to the client, more roadblocks, more compliance and less flexibility... the decision to switch is now questionable :(Their care worker force is also not that big and quality varies depending on who you get.
Sham of a company. Took my NDIS money. Billed for phantom services. Received no support after having committed 100s of thousands of dollars to the organization. Total lies and fabrication. Beware they are a shameful NDIS operator. No Caring. Took advantage of disabled people. Complete lack of protocol and did not meet my requirements. I would recommend people steer clear of this scam. I was better off without this company. No duty of care shown whatsoever. Greedy and money hungry operation that displays little care for their clients.
Horrendous, Deceptive, and Exploitative - Avoid This Fraudulent Company at All CostsI cannot overstate how appalling my experience with this so-called NDIS provider has been. From start to finish, this organization has proven to be nothing more than a pit of lies, greed, and incompetence, leaving me in a far worse situation than when I first approached them for help. If there were a competition for the most shameful, unethical, and utterly fraudulent NDIS operator, this organization would undoubtedly win without contest. They are, without a doubt, a worthless piece of trash and a disgrace to the NDIS community.False Promises and Deceptive TacticsFrom the outset, this company lures vulnerable individuals and families with grandiose promises of care, support, and life-changing services. They paint a picture of compassion and professionalism, but it’s nothing more than a thin facade hiding their real intention: to siphon as much money as possible from unsuspecting clients. I entrusted them with hundreds of thousands of dollars of my precious NDIS funding, expecting a high level of care and support tailored to my needs. What did I receive in return? Absolutely NOTHING. Not a single genuine service, not a shred of support, not even the decency of honest communication.Phantom Billing and Fraudulent PracticesThis organization has mastered the art of phantom billing. They billed my NDIS account for services that were never provided, blatantly fabricating invoices and records. When questioned, they offered vague, nonsensical explanations and outright refused to provide evidence of the so-called “support” I had supposedly received. This is outright theft. They prey on individuals with disabilities, knowing full well that we rely on our NDIS funding to survive and thrive, and they exploit this vulnerability with shameless greed.
I was living in a home caring house for 6 months and I was not happy and try to kick me out 3 to 4 and I need to pay for the toilet to be fix or. Was getting evicted L.N
I totally agree with the comment below. My late mum was charged for close to $9000 for home amendments and services we never received. I had to chase up the last statements for 8 months which proved the wrongful charges. I filed a claim.SHAME ON YOU FOR EXPLOITING ELDERLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE!My mum would have never realised what they did, if I didn't follow up.So YES, BEWARE!!!
Pathetic customer service. Don’t care about old people. Should not be in this business.They give the account to sub contractors /other companies and don’t respond to any problems after that.
Absolutely disgusting. Would never use again, they wrongly billed all the time and once noticed became very difficult and am still dealing with their incompetence over 6 months later. Do not use unless you want your funding stolen by these guys.
I replied to a person saying they would assist me to find my right fit? I have been having services for more than 3 decades. So well versed in normal acceptable procedures in 2 states. Never, ever been told Insurance companies and carer representation with clients. Must be in 2 hour blocks. I am a level a 4 package. Paraplegic, chair required.I was told my needs would e fully met am and pm. I am currently having chemo for cancer. I am asking for 2 hrs a day, 5-7 days a week. Cleaning once a week, physio stretches twice a week. Never having meals from online. It was suggested I could. I am seeing a huge problem on weekly hour usage. You?They come across as lovely hard working people with No over all experience. Very lacking with general procedure progression., tailor making.No records left behind like a daily report for the client. An absolute must have to protect all parties.Even waiting up to 70 days for funds to be transferred into their bank account. So they can then take off running. They still say they cannot give me an am and pm service.Knowing they cannot give the service I have been given for decades. They will hang on to their 1 yr contract. Which is of no benefit to me. Been to My Aged Care who have said to get them to discuss and provide.They come back with same. Work place agreement disallows helpers to work less than a 2 hour minimum.I have been told by My Aged Care who to go to for assistance, and solicitor and Advocare. One would always hope agreement could be come to without. Best intentions and no adequate service. Are no good.Would appreciate any comment put forward. If you have read thus far. I appreciate that greatly.Obviously the person who said he would find best fit. Is at the very bottom of all this. That is the nitty gritty dirty work going on. Kickbacks would be the game. Otherwise how would you make a living.
(Dissatisfied wife of client)Service does not commence until 1 week after start of contract. This was not made clear beforehand.Training of workers is to be provided by client at client's expense. This was not made clear beforehand.At commencement of 3rd week of service worker does not turn up. No notice provided. 4 hours later provider advises client to make alternative care arrangements for future care. Contract abandoned by provider.
Small player which was good - but now that they have grown, their attention, speed and effectiveness is like the big players.Not consistent in their policies and decisions. Case managers are nice people - but don't really understand client needs.Tends to be based out West
