Mrs Beth Thomas1
1Fitzroy Community Hospice, Australia
Biography:
In 41 years of nursing, my clinical nursing experience has mainly been in medical and Oncology/Palliative Care areas. For several years I held senior hospital management roles before taking on my current role.
I have worked in both public and private hospitals and gained much experience in working with dedicated staff across both sectors.
Palliative care is a calling and when I heard that a hospice was being opened in Rockhampton, I decided this was the next chapter in my nursing career.
Abstract:
Background:
We admit patients to our facility for 3 reasons – symptom management, carer fatigue respite and end of life care. We all know that the hours you spend in any health care facility can drag if your mind is not occupied. For patients admitted for symptom management and respite, they also struggle with being away from their home environment. We encourage family members to visit at any time and stay, but some patients still have time on their hands.
Aims and Methods:
This is where distraction therapy can help. We recently purchased 2 Virtual Reality headsets so that we could give our patients a different experience. Virtual Reality allows them to visit places on their bucket lists or even revisit an old favourite. The experience can be shared with loved ones as well via sharing the tablet view on the TV in the room. Sensory perception can be increased by little added touches such as dipping their toes in a bucket of sand if they are viewing a beach scene.
Results:
Our use of this type of technology is only just beginning but we see the potential in assisting to decrease pain levels by distraction therapy, reducing anxiety or distress by offering a calming view, or granting some last wishes to see different parts of the world or visiting their childhood home one more time.
The technology allows for a group interaction. Imagine a room full of family members reliving past experiences on holidays together and having those treasured moments to remember.
Conclusion:
Nothing can replace the personal touch of a caring family member or staff member sitting with a patient, but hopefully Virtual Reality will provide a complementary aspect to their care.
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