Virtual Reality Therapy: helping old people remember 虚拟现实疗法帮助老年人回忆往昔

学习要点

有关 “elderly people （老年人）” 的词汇

边看边答

Who are the VR experience designers working with to make sure it is suitable for elderly people?

文字稿

These days, Bill Tolley is usually to be found in the garden of his care home. But back in the 50s, his favourite place to be was the dance hall. Now, thanks to virtual reality, he is going to relive that golden age again.

如今，比尔·托利经常出没于看护中心的花园里。但在五十年代，他最喜欢待的地方是舞厅。现在，虚拟现实技术将帮助他重温那段黄金时代。

This is what's called Virtual Reality Therapy. Bill has dementia and the hope is that this trip down memory lane will be a positive experience for him.

这就是所谓的 “虚拟现实疗法”。比尔患有失智症，人们希望这段追忆往昔的旅程对他来说将是一次积极的经历。

Can you remember what you were like at that time? ­­­­­

你还记起那时你是什么样子吗？

Bill Tolley, VR therapy user
I was raring to go everywhere.

比尔·托利          “虚拟现实疗法” 体验者
“那时候，我渴望去任何地方。”

And in many ways, Bill still is. The Marston Court Care Home in Oxford has been trialling the technology and found that it has had positive benefits for many residents. People like Betty.

在许多方面，比尔仍然如此。英国牛津的马斯顿庭看护中心一直在试行这项技术，并发现虚拟现实技术对很多住在这里的人起到了积极的作用。贝蒂就是其中一人。

Betty
That's the church where I was married.

贝蒂           “虚拟现实疗法” 体验者
“我就是在那座教堂里结婚的。”

Does that bring back memories of the day?

是不是让你回想起了婚礼当天的事情？

Betty
Yes, I can remember what everybody was like. Many of them are no longer with us, of course.

贝蒂
“是的，我还记得每个人的样子。当然，他们当中的许多人都已经不在了。”

Betty is a big fan of the technology.

贝蒂非常喜欢这项技术。

Betty
You think how can you do that, when I'm sitting here? But it’s beautiful.

贝蒂
“你会感叹：我竟然能跑到那去，我明明坐在这里！但这是一段美好的经历。”

Did it trigger memories? Is that part of the fun of it?

这有没有触发你的记忆？能回忆往昔是其中的乐趣吗？

Betty
Yes, yes. That could be, but some people might have bad memories, mightn't they?

贝蒂
“是啊。可能是吧，但有些人也许有不好的记忆，对不对？”

So you've designed this to be comforting, but is there a danger that residents will find it disconcerting, disorientating or a bit confusing?

所以，你们设计的初衷是抚慰人心，但是否会让使用这项技术的人感到不安、让人迷失方向或感到困惑？

Arfa Rehman, Virtue Health
It's really important when designing an immersive tech experience for people with dementia or elderly residents that you're really tailoring it for their needs. We work really closely with care teams and people within the NHS [UK's National Health Service] to make sure that we are designing something very user centric and that can be comforting, rather than confusing.

阿尔法·拉赫曼           Virtue Health 公司
“有一点非常重要：在为失智症患者或老年住户们设计沉浸式科技体验时，根据需求进行定制是非常重要的。我们与英国国家医疗服务体系的护理团队和工作人员密切合作，以确保设计出的产品以用户为中心，能抚慰人心，而不是让人感到莫名其妙。”

Certainly for one resident, it seemed a rejuvenating experience.

至少对这位住户来说，这是一次返老还童的体验。

词汇

care home （照顾老年人或病人的）看护中心

dementia 失智症

trip down memory lane 追忆往昔的经历

no longer with us （委婉用语）不在了的，已逝的

disorientating 让人迷失方向的

问题答案

They are working with NHS care teams and people to make sure the VR experience is suitable for elderly people.