Lecturer Shogo Ishikawa of Shizuoka University's Faculty of Informatics and Alphacode, a virtual reality service, have jointly developed a platform that allows you to experience the world of dementia patients in the Metaverse (three-dimensional virtual space).It is likely that this will help staff working on the front lines of nursing care and medical care to accurately understand dementia.
According to Alpha Code, this platform is a mechanism that allows you to actually experience the symptoms of dementia patients, such as seeing various things in the metaverse like human faces and hearing sounds that should not be heard.From the caregiver's point of view, the experience of being in the position of a dementia patient and not knowing why they suddenly can't do what they normally do has helped them understand dementia better.
At a trial session held at Kaga City Hall in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 24 people working in the medical and nursing care field actually used this platform.As a result, they received comments such as, "Even though I knew about dementia in words, I didn't actually experience it, so it was an opportunity to learn more about dementia."
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare predicts that by 2025, the number of dementia patients nationwide will reach 700 million, accounting for one in five elderly people.Alphacode believes that by using this platform, more people, not just caregivers and medical professionals, will be able to deepen their understanding of dementia patients and their care.
