Virtual reality (VR) is giving some senior citizens a new lease on life. According to The Associated Press, Stanford University studied the use of VR at 17 senior living communities. Researchers found that out of 245 participants between the ages of 65 and 103 years old, most saw improvement in their reported emotional well-being and interactions with staff.
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The study is now being used to adapt VR technology to patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia in an effort to improve their emotional well-being.
According to the study, around 80% of seniors involved in the testing reported having a more positive attitude after using VR, and 60% said they fell less socially isolated.
“Part of what triggers the memory with virtual reality is the idea of immersion,” Mynd Immersive CEO Chris Brickler said. “Right, so, when we take somebody out of the four walls of their current environment and place them into a different place, the mind treats that experience differently. The mind thinks that we’re actually close to being that reality. So, that can bring back a tremendous amount of joy, a tremendous amount of memories.”
The findings by Stanford University researchers come as America braces for a “silver tsunami,” with a record 4.1 million people set to turn 65 this year, according to Axios.
With a potentially large pool of customers, companies who manufacture VR headsets will need to be ready to address issues of price and comfort.
Many Vision Pro owners returned the $3,500 headsets to Apple, as a flurry of posts on social media showed users boxing up their headsets right when the 14-day window for a full refund was closing, according to The Verge.
The reasons customers cited for returning their Vision Pro headsets ranged from complaints of motion sickness to the weight of the device being too heavy. One customer told The Verge that he burst a blood vessel in his eye using the Apple headset.
Mynd Immersive, which creates virtual reality headsets for seniors, said comfort is something the company is working on. Mynd Immersive said that common complaints relate to weight, heat and nausea. So, the company introduced new headsets.
Mynd Immersive’s new headsets reportedly weigh 6 ounces, which is down from a pound on previous headsets, and they have a built-in fan for cooling.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
VIRTUAL REALITY ISN’T JUST FOR THE YOUNG– IT’S FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART.
[TERRY COLLI]
“It brought back memories of my travels. In others, it brought back memories of my experience growing up on a farm.”
[ANNE SELBY]
“It stimulated virtually every area of my brain. All the senses.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
FOR SOME SENIORS, THE TECHNOLOGY IS GIVING THEM A NEW LEASE ON LIFE.
STANFORD UNIVERSITY STUDIED THE USE OF V-R AT 17 SENIOR COMMUNITIES.
THEY FOUND… OF THE 245 PARTICIPANTS…
BETWEEN 65 AND 103 YEARS OLD — SAW IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR EMOTIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH STAFF.
THE STUDY IS BEING USED TO ADAPT V-R TECHNOLOGY TO PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA, IN AN EFFORT IMPROVE THEIR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING.
AROUND 80 PERCENT OF SENIORS INVOLVED IN THE TESTING REPORTED HAVING A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE AFTER USING V-R, AND 60-PERCENT SAID THEY FELT LESS SOCIALLY ISOLATED.
[CHRIS BRICKLER]
“Part of what triggers the memory with virtual reality is the idea of immersion. Right, so, when we take somebody out of the four walls of their current environment and place them into a different place, the mind treats that experience differently. The mind thinks that we’re actually close to being in that reality. So, that can bring back a tremendous amount of joy, a tremendous amount of memories.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE FINDINGS COME AS AMERICA BRACES FOR A SO-CALLED ‘SILVER TSUNAMI’ — WITH A RECORD 4-POINT-1-MILLION PEOPLE SET TO TURN 65 THIS YEAR.
AND WITH A LARGER POTENTIAL POOL OF CUSTOMERS — COMPANIES WHO MANUFACTURE V-R HEADSETS —
WILL NEED TO BE READY TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF PRICE AND COMFORT.
APPLE JUST FOUND THIS OUT THE HARD WAY.
MANY VISION PRO OWNERS NOTABLY RETURNED THE 35-HUNDRED DOLLAR HEADSETS.
A FLURRY OF POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWED USERS BOXING UP THEIR HEADSETS RIGHT WHEN THE 14-DAY WINDOW FOR A FULL REFUND WAS CLOSING.
THE REASONS CITED:
MOTION SICKNESS AND WEIGHT OF THE DEVICE.
ONE CUSTOMER EVEN REPORTING A BURST BLOOD VESSEL IN HIS EYE.
“MYND IMMERSIVE” — WHICH CREATES VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS FOR SENIORS SAYS — COMFORT IS SOMETHING THEY’RE WORKING ON.
THE COMPANY SAYS COMMON COMPLAINTS RELATE TO WEIGHT, HEAT, AND NAUSEA.
SO, NEW HEADSETS WERE INTRODUCED.
THEY WEIGH SIX OUNCES, DOWN FROM A POUND, AND HAVE A BUILT-IN FAN FOR COOLING.
FIXING THESE ISSUES– MAY ALLOW THEM TO REACH MORE OLDER ADULTS.
TAPPING INTO NOT JUST THE YOUNG AT HEART – BUT ALSO THEIR WALLETS.
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