VR made a reality at the Hospice in the Weald
Hospice in the Weald has made immersive virtual reality experiences available through its Living Well service, enabling patients in Pembury and Five Ashes hospices to journey to tropical beaches, famous cities, pastoral landscapes, and National Trust sites, all from the comfort and safety of a chair or bed.
Key Insights
Relaxing and Immersive: Patients describe the experience as deeply immersive, some even say it’s almost like “smellevision,” where they can sense the smells of salty air or see a crackling fire in a virtual room.
Emotional Freedom & Calm: The headset allows patients to step away from their current reality mentally. For many, it provides a sense of calm, escape, and relief from preoccupying medical thoughts or diagnoses.
Highly Personalizable: The content library is diverse and expanding, with new locations added monthly “upon request.” Patients like Allison and Peter actively suggest experiences such as road journeys through Kent and Sussex, or deep-sea fishing from a boat.
Supported by Staff for Comfort: Nursing assistant Sarah has played a key role in introducing and guiding patients through VR sessions, emphasizing that "VR is relaxing, people can just enjoy the escapism".
The project shows that VR can be seamlessly integrated into hospice care as a low-impact, emotionally resonant tool. Whether offering a moment of peace, a memory-triggering journey, or a gentle distraction from pain and worry, VR extends the hospice’s commitment to holistic wellbeing, enhancing comfort, offering connection with the wider world, and enriching patients’ emotional lives without leaving their rooms.
