SIMULATOR PROGRAMS FOR
SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES

This is the format most senior living and independent living communities book. It is not an event with a theme, it is simply an afternoon where residents get to drive.

What makes it work in this setting is that it asks very little physically. Residents sit down, the wheel force can be reduced to almost nothing, and there is no time pressure or competition unless a community wants one.

The shape of a typical visit

• We arrive ahead of the session and set up in your activity or common room
• Residents come and go rather than being scheduled into slots
• Each person gets set up individually, with settings adjusted to them
• Others watch the screen, which is a large part of the appeal
• We pack down afterwards and the room goes back to normal

Accessibility is the first conversation, not the last

The single most useful thing you can tell us in advance is who is taking part. A simulator seat is a fixed racing seat, and getting into one is not possible or comfortable for every resident.

• Wheelchair users. Tell us in advance. There are setups that work without transferring out of a chair, and setups that do not, and we would rather solve that before we arrive.
• Limited mobility or transfers. If a resident needs assistance to transfer, your staff should handle that. Our team runs the simulators and does not provide personal care.
• Hand and grip strength. Wheel force can be reduced substantially, and for some participants turned down to almost nothing.
• Vision and hearing. Screen distance, text size and volume are all adjustable.
• Motion sensitivity. Some people find any moving screen uncomfortable. Sessions can be kept short and stationary, and nobody should feel obliged to continue.

Tell us the range of needs in the room and we will tell you honestly what will work and what will not, rather than discovering it in front of your residents.

The room

An activity room, dining room, common area or multipurpose space all work. We need floor space, mains power at the setup point, and a route in from a vehicle. Tell us about elevators, door widths and thresholds before the day rather than on it.

Numbers and time

How many residents you expect and how long you have. Those two numbers decide how many simulators make sense and how long each person gets in the seat.

Your staff

Our team runs the simulators. Your staff know your residents and handle anything involving personal care, transfers or supervision. That division works better than either of us trying to do both.

Scheduling

Mid-morning and early afternoon tend to work best in most communities, but you know your residents and your calendar better than we do.