THE Association for the Aged (Tafta) is using a new Virtual Reality Empathy Platform (VREP), an immersive virtual reality system, to teach professionals about the daily obstacles senior citizens face.

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This system uses virtual reality to simulate sensory, thinking and physical troubles that often come with age. Caregivers, medical personnel and designers can use the platform to see what it’s like to live with these difficulties.

Purpose of the platform

Tafta CEO Femada Shamam said that the purpose of the platform is to translate empathy into tangible action.

“VREP allows professionals to experience these realities first-hand, turning empathy into actionable insight. By seeing the world through the eyes of older people, we can design environments and care practices that truly empower them to live safely, independently, and with dignity.”

Shamam added that knowing what seniors go through every day helps organisations make better living spaces and care methods that boost their independence and health.

The platform uses lifelike empathy filters to replicate typical age-related ailments, including hearing impairments, mobility limitations and visual distortions. Participants can examine how these issues impact everyday tasks through the immersive experience and then pinpoint strategies to enhance living spaces, infrastructure and care procedures for the elderly.

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The platform is being adjusted for the South African environment by independent software developers. Tafta, using dementia support groups led by social workers, has also started arranging immersive sessions for members of the community.

Programme in action

Tafta social worker Analisa Naidoo said the experience had a profound impact on her.

“Experiencing the visual impairment of glaucoma, together with the effects of dementia, was an emotional experience for me. It gave me insight to be more understanding, compassionate, and empathetic and to translate that understanding into real-world care improvements,” said Naidoo.

Corporate innovation licences will make the VREP programme available through corporate workshops run by Tafta consultants. Businesses, including hospitals, architects, property developers, and construction companies, can use the platform on their own to aid in the creation of spaces that are more appropriate for seniors.

Contact:

Tafta hopes that the platform will promote greater awareness and innovation in the design and care of spaces for older individuals by fusing practical transformation tools with immersive technology. Yvette Govender can be reached at vrep@tafta.org.za for bookings or more details regarding the virtual reality experience.

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