Elderly home residents seeing the world through VR in pilot project

This pilot project, introduced by Active Ageing and Community Care (AACC), is set to shake up daily life for residents by offering unique virtual visits and boosting their well-being

5 July 2025, 6:48am
by Matthew Farrugia

1 min read

(Photo: Malcolm Paul Agius Galea/Facebook)

Elderly residents at the Floriana Residential Home are experiencing the world through virtual reality (VR).

This pilot project, introduced by Active Ageing and Community Care (AACC), is set to shake up daily life for residents by offering unique virtual visits and boosting their well-being.

The initiative, which also incorporates augmented reality technology, allows residents to virtually visit places with which they hold strong emotional connections.

Participants in the initial sessions have already experienced virtual tours of the Żabbar Parish Church, Venice, and the Vatican.

This approach is said to help reduce social isolation, stimulate cognitive function, and even support rehabilitation processes within a safe environment adapted to their needs.

The initiative was originally proposed during a seminar on innovation and creativity. Following that, AACC took the initiative to ensure staff received the necessary training so that the technology could be used safely and appropriately for residents

Matthew Farrugia is a staff reporter at MaltaToday

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