How virtual reality is bringing fun and even memory therapy to seniors

Customized immersive VR experiences allow older adults to have fun and make memories using headsets and software that’s designed to meet their specific needs.

By Shelly BrisbinNovember 11, 2021 10:29 am,

Most people probably associate virtual reality with gaming – running through a castle or fighting virtual monsters via an unwieldy headset. But a Texas company is at the forefront of a new effort to bring virtual reality to seniors. The goal is to offer immersive experiences, comfort and even memory therapy.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga profiled this new way of using virtual reality for Texas Monthly. He told Texas Standard that Plano-based MyndVR is developing experiences that are both customized for seniors and less cumbersome to operate than typical VR gaming rigs.

Highlights from this segment:

– VR for older adults has been deployed in senior living centers, where it provides travel simulations and other immersive experiences that might otherwise be impossible, due to physical limitations. One experience being developed now will take users down the iconic Route 66.

– MyndVR hopes to eventually obtain FDA approval to use VR as a memory therapy in clinics that treat seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.

– Seniors who have used VR enjoy the experiences, which they do with a helper who manipulates software on a tablet to run the experience.

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