By Nataly Mayne | AMAR Association
You might be familiar with virtual reality through video games and other more tech-y topics, but one of the newest lanes of business for this technology may be to help senior people with reliving their memories or using those memories as relaxation therapy.
Although its side effects are still being studied before any major distribution, the benefits of using VR on older patients, or even seniors with dementia, have been proven to be many, and quite positive. One of the studies carried out by Silverado, one of the few companies researching this experience, gave out results of the studied being calmer and more alert after the event.
However, relieving memories is not the only experience that is being provided for seniors. As one of the biggest fears of being in a retirement home is the monotony of it, another option is to travel to other cities or countries through this technology. It can also emulate a space decorated in a way you feel safer and more comfortable in. As the studies and research is being done, we can only hope the positives overcome the negatives and we can provide this experience to more and more people.
As of now, this technology, which is called MyndVR is being used in senior facilities around 30 states. The experiences being provided to the seniors are varied, from not-so-long-ago memories, to watching your favorite animal in its natural environment, or even traveling all the way back to your youth. We can only imagine many Elvis shows being relived.
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