Virtual Reality Experience in Proper Feeding

Abstract

This virtual reality experience will provide students from various disciplines and programs, such as Personal Support Worker; Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physical Therapist Assistant; Registered Practical Nursing; Development Support Worker; Gerontology; and Personal Care Assistant to prepare to assist individuals experiencing challenges with feeding. With this interdisciplinary approach, this project has the potential to reach 600 Sault College students. Feeding is an important life skill from a nutritional perspective as well as a social perspective. Individuals that experience challenges with feeding, particularly those in long term care settings, may require trained professionals to support them. The demand for assistance with feeding is significant and many long-term care facilities require an interdisciplinary approach to providing assistance with feeding, which includes not only health care professionals but often include other staff members, family members and volunteers. Most facilities have a handbook and brief training but may not have the practical experience to address higher level feeding issues. The objective of this project would be to enable a real life experience of skills related to feeding through virtual reality.

This experience will incorporate various factors that may influence ones ability to safely feed a resident/client. For example, individuals who have had a stroke, Parkinsons Disease or dementia, may require more support when feeding. Clients with swallowing disorders or dysphagia may be at greater risk for choking, silent aspiration and potential pneumonia. With a modified diet, proper positioning and cueing; risk for harm can be reduced. Nutritional intake can be improved with cuing and guidance, while also making mealtime more social, adding to the client’s quality of life. By making a virtual reality experience for feeding, we can ensure competencies of those involved with feeding thus reducing the risk of malnutrition and aspiration. This experience will also incorporate the psychosocial aspect of feeding. For individuals that may have neurological behaviour issues, learners will have the opportunity to utilize the virtual reality experience to learn how to react and respond in challenging situations as communication within the feeding experience is an integral part.

Currently, we have lab training in the Sault College programs for feeding scenarios. However, as Sault College embraces more online learners, it will be important to determine a way to deliver this training at a distance and VR can address this need. It could also be expected that post-pandemic, online training will become more prevalent in Ontario and the need for virtual lab simulations will increase. This experience will allow students from across the province or even in the global marketplace to participate without having to leave their home community.