HJNO Jan/Feb 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2022 51 Jeré Hales Chief Operating Officer Lambeth House ence that might be either impossible or im- practical to achieve due to an older adult’s physical or cognitive limitations. Among the many benefits of VR in a senior care setting is the flexibility within the scope of the program. It allows opportunities for one-on-one interactions and opens the door for group discussion depending on the content selected. During the sessions, sharable experiences are created. “Resi- dents at St. Anna’s really love the program. It gives them an opportunity to be totally immersed in new and unique experiences.” Says Fortmayer. Fortmayer has championed the VR program since its inception at St. Anna’s in early 2021. During the COVID-19 pan- demic, MyndVR, a national VR company, selected a handful of long-term care communities across the United States to receive VR equipment in exchange for weekly feedback on how the devices work in the senior population. St. Anna’s at Lam- beth House was among those chosen to participate. Fortmayer works directly with MyndVR, who is currently collaborating with the Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) at Stanford University. VHIL has been developing immersive VR content and researching its impact on seniors for nearly 20 years. Fortmayer communicates valuable feedback to the company regard- ing functionality of the device and the re- sponses and reactions that St. Anna’s resi- dents have to the VR content. The program has been so successful at St. Anna’s that they are expanding it to other continuums. The Lambeth House Foundation is currently fundraising for the effort. Anne Honeywell, foundation di- rector at Lambeth House, states, “The VR program at St. Anna’s has been extremely successful. Fundraising for this project falls directly within the mission of the Foundation in that it improves the lives of our residents.” The benefits of virtual reality for seniors are undisputed. It seems to lower depression and anxiety, improves moods, and stimulates memory and cognition. VR technology offers freedom and adventure, bringing the world to the senior. It is as if the four walls disappear, if only for a time. n was, indeed, an overall positive effect on the VR participants’ emotional and social well-being when compared to those of the control group. Participants that interacted with VR were more likely to feel positive emotions, were less likely to feel isolated and were less likely to be depressed. Other studies, like the one done by re- searchers at theUniversity of California San Francisco, suggest that virtual realitymight play a part in improving long-termmemo- ry, and in 2020, a Korean study concluded that VR-based training had a positive effect on cognition in patients withmild cognitive insufficiency. Although more research is needed, the common consensus is that VR improves a senior’s physical, cognitive and mental health outcomes, and it appears to positively affect mood and reduce anxiety, depression and fear. Meredith Fortmayer, Activities Coordi- nator at St. Anna’s, describes their VR pro- gram as a computerized, interactive expe- rience that allows residents to visit (and revisit) alternate environments. It gives residents the complete sense that they are immersed in the setting. VR technology offers the opportunity to create an experi- VR technology offers the opportunity to create an experience that might be either impossible or impractical to achieve due to an older adult’s physical or cognitive limitations. “ “