Can virtual reality help ward off ageing?

A 93-year-old resident of a seniors’ home in Cologne, Germany, is able to look around a digitally recreated castle using virtual reality. — dpa

Maria Hertwig is sitting more than 450 kilometres away from Neuschwanstein Castle. Despite the huge distance, she can speak authoritatively about the construction of Ludwig II’s magnificent Bavarian palace. "They had good people," she says. It is almost unbelievable how they got all the construction materials up there. Her conclusion: "This is really beautiful!"

Hertwig is a 93-year-old resident of the St Maternus seniors’ home in Cologne. The virtual reality glasses she’s wearing allow her gaze to wander around the digitally created environment, from the fairytale castle to the green meadows of southern Germany's Allgaeu region.

The St Maternus home likes to experiment with modern technology. They use video games and smart speakers connected to the Internet. The virtual reality glasses are part of the biography project, to help people explore their own personal history. Maria Hertwig, for example, spent her childhood in Bavaria.

The home is one of example of how new digital technologies are making their way into everyday life. “Virtual reality offers the opportunity to expand the horizons of experience. That can be important if you are no longer capable of going out,” says Uwe Kleinemas, a researcher of old age. “We also know that the course of dementia can be positively influenced by mental challenges."

There are still not enough studies yet to prove the positive effects. "In principle, however, the use of such electronic media can be viewed positively because it can increase the possibilities of compensating for physical or psychological limitations,” Kleinemas says.

Herbert Mauel, director of the Federal Association of Private Providers of Social Services (bpa), believes, however, that there has to be more research into whether these technologies help to maintain or even enhance cognitive abilities. "Virtual reality glasses alone can't do the job," he says. In recent years, however, some promising interactive instruments have been developed to train attention and mobility. Whether this can be translated into lasting success remains to be seen.

Hermann Brockenauer doesn't care about the long-term effects. The 77-year-old St. Maternus resident is a passionate racing car driver. He’s playing the rally video game Dirt 3 and is choosing his car colour. "Let's pick black," he says. "That way you can see the dirt better later." And a nice sound, "so you can hear the engine”. — dpa