What You Should Know:
- Virtual Reality (VR) technology is not just for the young. It’s paving the way for enhancing relationships between the aging population and their caregivers, as research from the Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) at Stanford University demonstrates.
- The study sought to understand older adults’ attitudes towards new technologies, including virtual reality, and how professional caregivers felt about facilitating VR experiences for older adults. Research was led by Dr. Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the VHIL and one of the world’s leading experts on understanding and exploring individual behavior and social responses in VR, and Ryan Christopher Moore, Ph.D researcher.
Research conducted by Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab in collaboration with Mynd Immersive and AT&T 5G Healthcare
Key findings include that 81% of caregivers reported they enjoyed interacting with residents more while using Mynd Immersive (Mynd), formerly MyndVR than while doing other activities, and 94.9% said that using Mynd was moderately to extremely beneficial to their relationship with the resident. Similarly, 89.5% of residents reported that using Mynd was moderately to extremely beneficial to their relationship with the caregiving staff.
The study also found:
• 74.2% of the caregivers reported that the residents’ mood improved after using Mynd, and 77.9% of the residents reported feeling more positive
• 57.5% of older adults reported feeling less isolated from the outside world after using Mynd
• While positive attitudes towards new technology often decline with age, the study population overwhelmingly felt positive about using VR and the decline in attitude was less than compared to other technologies like cell phones and voice assistants.
“Shared experiences in VR, like revisiting a senior’s hometown or traveling to a place they’ve always wanted to see, can stimulate greater communication, bridge emotional gaps, and create deeper bonds,” said Chris Brickler, CEO of Mynd Immersive. “We are experiencing explosive growth of our aging population, while simultaneously seeing a significant decline in available caregivers, so it’s imperative that we create tools like Mynd that can help create a more enjoyable and fulfilling environment for both the cared and caregiver.”
Mynd has brought together a powerful consortium of industry collaborators to support this research and beyond, including AT&T, HTC VIVE, Select Rehabilitation, and some of the world’s most innovative senior living communities, such as John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, Florida.
