In the living room of the Regina Mundi care home in Lagos, 70-year-old Baba Rafael gets up from her chair and puts on virtual reality headphones. For nine minutes, Rafael danced to the folk tones of his favorite singer, the late Ainla Omovura, while watching a music video.
“Do you like?” Rafael asks one of the employees. He does not answer without paying attention while singing.
For more than a year, art teacher Kunle Adevale has visited four nursing homes in the Nigerian city, taking VR kits and tablets, often isolated residents, delivering doses of therapeutic entertainment.
With headphones on, people can immerse themselves in songs, dances or exercises and even in nature reserves. Some make digital art on tablets by creating illustrations or editing photos.
“It’s about giving them joy, it’s the biggest thing that makes me happy,” says Adewell. “It simply came to our notice then. They just love music and experience it in a more powerful way. Some love dance sessions. For some, we realized they wanted something more soothing, so we downloaded sound therapy content to make them feel calmer. The amazing thing is that there are so many ways they can use and experience it. “
Arts teacher Kunle Adevale, a center, began researching social therapies for the elderly after his stepmother suffered memory loss after a stroke. Photo: Temilade Adelaja / Reuters
Adewell, 40, was teaching at a primary school when his mother, father and stepmother died within four years. “My stepmother suffered a stroke and then lost her memory. She could no longer recognize us, so we tried to make her happy in different ways, like singing songs. ” Her condition led him to consider memory loss and “social therapies,” interactive ways to engage people with mental illness.
We try to advise family members to come and see them, not just leave them here, but this is often the case with Antonia Adebouleil.
“One of the things we as children have in our culture is the belief that my parents did all these things for me, so when the time comes, I will give it back.” “It’s our culture to take care of our parents, but mine aren’t, so now I’m paying for it to others,” he said.
Few of the residents of the home receive visits from the family, which makes VR sessions a valuable form of interaction and activity. Photo: Kunle Adewale
In Regina Mundi, Baba Festus, who has Down Syndrome, performs an eclectic combination of movements during a dance lesson.
Mama Ibadan, a retired teacher, has developed a flair for digital art; one of her pieces is on display in the living room. Another work was recently sold.
From her wheelchair, Bolanle’s mother shakes her head to the music, a rare sign of activity for a woman who barely speaks. Officials say she has not seen her family in years. “They missed her and hardly visited her after that,” said one. “At one point, we learned that her daughter had moved to the United States without telling us or her mother.
Only three residents receive family visits, according to Regina Mooney’s manager, Catholic nun Antonia Adebouale. “The biggest problem they face is loneliness. Often their families bring them here and abandon them. You see how it affects them, they become very withdrawn. We try to support and encourage them, and this program also helps them become more active and engaged. ”
Nursing homes in Nigeria are dissatisfied, Adebouale said, due to the cultural focus on family care for the elderly. “Your children are like your heritage, so people think that if you have children, why should you be left alone at home somewhere?” This is a sensitive issue. “
This is changing among younger people, a reality that is difficult to accept for the older generation. “The transition is very difficult for them. We try to advise family members to come and see them, not just to leave them here, but it often happens. “
The buzzing of fans and generators moves around the house, where the days follow a fixed routine around eating and praying. Actions of kindness bring welcome breaks. Those who wish to do so sometimes send fabrics to make new clothes for the residents, or sponsor special dishes, or come and visit as Kunle Adewale. “I feel strongly that these homes should not be a place where people feel alone or abandoned. We must strive to find ways to help them become more active places where they can communicate socially and have dignity. ”
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