We cannot change what a person is going through at that moment, but we can help them feel better, even if only for a few brief moments.
As a social educator, I am part of the multidisciplinary team of the Social Prescribing project at Academia dos Sonhos, Centro Social Paroquial dos Pousos, where we use RVer virtual reality headsets to offer immersive experiences and unique moments of comfort and well-being.
It is much more than a technology. It is a working tool that lets us create opportunities for calm and discovery, helping to ease symptoms of physical pain and emotional suffering, both in hospital and at home.
In palliative care, every moment of comfort is immensely valuable to me and to the team. Being able to take someone on a journey to a special place, awaken a happy memory or simply offer a few moments of serenity is also a way of caring.
We cannot change what a person is going through at that moment, but we can help them feel better, even if only for a few brief moments.