New Report Examines the Impact of Virtual Reality in Senior Care

Technology use is evolving rapidly in the senior care industry with new advancements allowing for innovative technology applications. The use of virtual reality (VR) is one particularly exciting field, and the technology is making new experiences and uses possible.

In August, Rendever released the “Evolution of VR for Senior Care” report. The report is an in-depth analysis of the use of VR in senior care, how its adoption has changed, and how it could shape the future of senior care.

The Senior Care Industry’s Adoption of Virtual Reality

Kyle Rand, CEO of Rendever

According to the report, over 50% of the largest national senior care providers use VR in some capacity, and 1 in 3 senior living operators plan to deploy VR solutions for their residents in 2025. “This expansion has been driven by the technology’s ability to provide relevant impact for the multiple stakeholders who serve the industry,” the report states. For example, VR has helped residents combat social isolation. It helps stimulate cognitive function and provides therapeutic benefits, too.

For operators, VR provides a meaningful way of improving resident engagement, such as helping residents engage with family members, as well as an intervention for numerous mental health challenges that seniors may face. For staff members, VR can help reduce time spent planning for activities and provide a way to bring joy to residents.

Kyle Rand, CEO of Rendever, explains that it’s rewarding to see how Rendever is helping senior care communities create healthier and happier lives for residents. For example, the virtual experiences engage residents’ cognitive function and get residents physically moving. “More than that, Rendever was designed to create moments that spark connection by getting people to talk with one another,” he explains.

“It’s based around the concept of in-group experiences in social psychology, so they form relationships around these shared experiences they have with each other. At a simpler level, the experiences deliver so much joy and meaning, and I hope that has contributed to make aging a more welcomed chapter in life, which I feel is one of the best things accessible technology can do for society.”

The Benefits Virtual Reality Provides to Residents

The report also examines the specific benefits VR offers:

• Emotional well-being: Research has shown that immersive VR experiences can help increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions. VR can help improve quality of life and personal connections, and it also helps reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, pain, and loneliness.
• Cognitive stimulation: VR is a valuable tool for cognitive stimulation therapy, such as by viewing family photos and playing games, which can help reduce cognitive decline.
• Socialization and loneliness: Since Rendever’s VR platform features networked communication capabilities, it can foster social interactions and friendships, expand social networks, and improve trust.

Communities also use VR to support resident physical therapy and mobility, and to improve residents’ physical and social health.

VR serves other unique purposes, too. Communities can use 360-degree cameras to create immersive tours without compromising resident privacy, and visitors can tour the facilities using the VR experiences. As residents prepare to leave acute care communities, VR paired with 360-degree cameras can allow for a home safety assessment so that staff members can better prepare patients for the challenges they may face after returning home.

The Perception and Use of Virtual Reality

Shifting perceptions of VR have played a crucial role in its growing popularity within senior care settings, with early skepticism of VR diminishing as positive media stories about its innovative capabilities emerge. Initially, media coverage emphasized the novelty of using technology with older adults, who were often stereotyped as being “tech-averse.” However, this portrayal has evolved, with media now recognizing immersive technology as a valuable tool that can help combat loneliness, foster relationships, and enhance cognitive and physical abilities in seniors.

While much progress has been made, Rand notes that challenges to the adoption of VR in senior care settings still exist. “I think the biggest challenges are seeing past the surface level of what VR can provide,” he says. “Many people see what we do and think it’s fun, but have a hard time seeing joy as something serious to invest in. Rendever and a few other companies in the immersive space have really made VR a serious digital health tool – we just finished our first clinical trial – and with Rendever there’s no question about acceptability from older adults.”

Rand explains that older adults are far more receptive to technology than many people expect. “If you think about it, today’s 65-year-olds have spent much of their adult lives experiencing advances in technology firsthand,” says Rand. “They’re ready to embrace VR. As an industry, we just need to look past the surface and understand that non-pharmacological approaches to mental health can have tremendous success.”

VR can be helpful in reshaping how we age and connect with others, including in assisted living, independent living, or aging in place environments. “Our goal and mission is to make VR an option for the entire aging population, no matter what senior care path they’re on,” Rand says.

How Senior Care Communities Can Explore and Implement Virtual Reality

The report also includes in-depth details on how senior care communities can implement VR. Rand highlights the importance of establishing a supportive environment for everyone. “Start with the staff, then move to the residents, and eventually the families – and work with your partner to provide support at every step of the journey,” he recommends. “You really do want to involve caregivers and family members to strengthen their relationships.”

He also advises that communities tailor the VR experiences to fit residents’ needs. Since there are thousands of virtual experiences to choose from, communities should look for experiences that will resonate with their residents’ interests and health goals. “To reach VR’s fullest potential, I would recommend making the sessions a regular occurrence in the programming schedule, too. Some people may be slower to jump aboard, and having it on the schedule consistently will give them the time they need to jump in,” Rand says.

He notes that it’s essential to work with an enterprise-grade partner like Rendever to ensure success. “The right partner can provide comprehensive ongoing training to your staff to make sure they feel comfortable with the technology, and are ready to embrace new features,” says Rand. “They’ll also help you look at the analytics to identify areas where the technology can be better utilized or improved upon with your residents. And of course, they’ll have tons of features custom developed for your teams, so the value is clear.”

The Future of Virtual Reality

VR has already come a long way in its use in senior care communities, and we’re still at the beginning of its evolution. “It’s a powerful tool and it’s been amazing to see the impact spreading with amazing senior care partners,” Rand says. With more and more senior care communities using VR, we may see new applications of this versatile technology.

The results of Rendever’s clinical trial will be released soon.

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli is a contributing writer to i Advance Senior Care.