Veterans Homes Receiving Virtual Reality Glasses

A leading VR-based, digital therapeutic experience provider is offering a grant for virtual reality glasses. This program aims to help veterans with dementia and other long-term care needs.
Updated: October 2nd, 2023
Marcus Howard

Contributor

Marcus Howard

MyndVR, a provider of VR-based digital therapeutics for the aging population, has deployed virtual reality glasses to all eight Veterans Homes in California. The deployment was made possible by a grant from Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), a charity dedicated to funding recreation therapy programs for Veterans.

CalVet, the California Department of Veteran Affairs, is committed to ensuring that Veterans receive the state and federal benefits and services they have earned. 

CalVet Secretary Lindsey Sin said they are thrilled that the residents will benefit from this technology and opportunity.

Virtual Reality is a beneficial tool for memory care patients and helps ensure that our Veterans enjoy a higher quality of life. We thank the Bowlers to Veterans for their dedication to our residents and for supporting this program.

Vet Homes Benefiting

The BVL grant was created to help deploy MyndVR technology through the innovative HTC Vive immersive glasses to 50 state Veteran homes across the United States. The California Department of Veteran Affairs (CalVet) is the third state Veteran home group selected to receive the immersive technology. 

Chris Brickler, CEO of MyndVR, highlighted the transformative potential of VR-based, immersive therapeutics.

Research is showing that immersive therapeutics can have a profound impact on the holistic health of our aging Veterans – across emotional, behavioral, physical, and cognitive health. We are proud of our partnership with BVL to deploy the MyndVR platform to every Veteran home in the state of California. We believe these Veterans have earned this amazing technology.

VR Offers a Variety of Benefits

Immersive therapeutics is a new field of medicine that uses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other immersive technologies to treat a wide range of conditions, including pain, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive decline.

Immersive therapeutics create a simulated environment that can help patients learn new skills, cope with difficult emotions, and manage pain. For example, a VR program might be used to help a patient with PTSD to gradually confront their fears in a safe and controlled environment. Or, an AR program might help a patient with cognitive decline learn new information or practice everyday tasks.

Immersive therapeutics is still in its early stages of development. Still, it can potentially revolutionize how we treat many different conditions. It is a particularly promising approach for treating conditions that are difficult to treat with traditional methods, such as PTSD and chronic pain.

Secretary Sin says the Chula Vista Veterans Home and other Veterans Homes residents will benefit from the virtual reality technology, which can benefit memory care patients.

Here are some of the benefits of immersive therapeutics:

  • Engagement: Immersive therapies can be more engaging and motivating for patients than traditional therapies.
  • Immersion: Immersive therapies can create a more immersive and realistic patient experience, leading to better outcomes.
  • Safety: Immersive therapies can be used to treat dangerous or difficult conditions in a real-world setting.
  • Customization: Immersive therapies can be customized to meet each patient's individual needs.

Immersive Therapeutics - Helping Care Recipients at Home or in Facilities

Immersive therapeutics can help those in long-term care facilities or those receiving in-home care in several ways, including:

  • Reducing pain and discomfort. Immersive therapeutics can distract patients from pain and discomfort and help them cope with pain more effectively. For example, a VR program might transport patients to a relaxing beach scene or engage them in a challenging game that helps them forget about their pain.
  • Improving cognitive function. Immersive therapeutics can be used to improve cognitive function in patients with a variety of conditions, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease. For example, a VR program might be used to help patients with dementia to practice everyday tasks or to learn new information.
  • Reducing anxiety and depression. Immersive therapeutics can be used to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with a variety of conditions. For example, a VR program might help patients with anxiety gradually confront their fears in a safe and controlled environment.
  • Improving mood and quality of life. Immersive therapeutics can be used to improve mood and quality of life in patients with a variety of conditions. For example, a VR program might transport patients to a place they find enjoyable or engage them in a social activity that helps them connect with others.

In addition to these benefits, immersive therapeutics can also be used to help care recipients to:

  • Maintain their independence. Immersive therapeutics can help patients maintain their independence by allowing them to practice everyday tasks in a safe and controlled environment. For example, a VR program might be used to help patients with balance problems to practice walking or to help patients with dementia to practice dressing and bathing.
  • Reduce the need for medication. Immersive therapeutics can be used to reduce the need for medication in patients with various conditions, such as pain and anxiety.
  • Slow the progression of disease. Immersive therapeutics may be able to slow the progression of some diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Immersive therapeutics is a new and emerging field of medicine, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we care for patients in long-term care facilities or receive in-home care.

For example, here are several ways care recipients can benefit from this technology:

  • VR is being used to help patients with dementia to remember their past and to connect with their loved ones. For example, a VR program might allow a patient to visit their childhood home or to attend a family event.
  • AR is being used to help patients with physical disabilities to practice everyday tasks, such as walking and dressing. For example, an AR program might overlay a virtual walker on the patient's real-world environment to help them with balance.
  • VR and AR are used to help patients manage their pain more effectively. For example, a VR program might transport the patient to a relaxing scene, or an AR program might provide the patient with information about their pain and how to manage it.

Overall, immersive therapeutics can improve the lives of those needing long-term care services.

BVL was established in 1942 to raise funds to purchase planes to transport wounded servicemen and women back home from World War II. Since then, the bowling community has raised over $56 million to support Veterans.

MyndVR is the leading VR-based, digital therapeutics provider for senior living communities, home care agencies, Veteran homes, and adults aging at home in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. 

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