Aged care residents get behind the steering wheel again

Bolton Clarke Ridgehaven aged care residents are getting behind the wheel again thanks to their very own driving simulator.

For many of the residents, playing video games on a PlayStation isn’t something they have done in the past but when it comes to driving, they’re all over it!

Bolton Clarke resident Allan says he spent his whole life around fixing and driving cars and it’s something that he has missed since moving into the home.

“This is right up my alley - I have always enjoyed anything with cars and used to fiddle around as a home mechanic,” Allan said.

“I owned a muffler shop for about 40 years and took over from my father-in-law, so we had all sorts of cars come through the shop.

“I always enjoyed being behind the wheel and had my fair share of getting to drive anything and everything.”

Bolton Clarke Ridgehaven Lifestyle Coordinator Trudy says the driving simulation was a highly anticipated activity at the home.

“We are always thinking of ways to introduce different activities and driving was something that came up for many of residents,” Trudy said.

“So we got the PS4 and the steering wheel, and I even had my kids helping out to find the right game for the residents.

“It’s been great watching the residents enjoy it – it hasn’t been about going fast or racing, but you can see people enjoying the motion and feeling of driving again.”