It’s the holiday season, which is also arguably the busiest time of the year. This season is no different-- but it came with early presents and hopes for the future! Looking forward, technology will continue to be an essential part of our lives, so in this post, I will be discussing an innovative and viable use of technology in senior care: VR and reminiscence therapy.
First, let me answer the question: what is reminiscence therapy? As the name sounds, reminiscence therapy involves sharing past activities, events, and experiences, usually with other people and the help of one’s senses. For example, aural can involve listening to past favorite music, smell and taste can involve baking a childhood favorite cake, visual can involve looking at photographs, and tactile can involve painting or sewing. An important aspect of reminiscence therapy to keep in mind is that it’s different from remembering: for example, instead of asking questions as if trying to test memories, like “where did you grow up?”, reminiscing more involves sharing memories together, perhaps looking at a photo of a birthday party and recounting stories about it. Reminiscence therapy is often used for seniors with dementia, and because its implementations can vary greatly, not much definitive scientific conclusions have been drawn about it. Nevertheless, reminiscence therapy may have positive benefits on cognition, mood, and communication for those with dementia. Now, how can virtual reality be applied to reminiscence therapy? VR is particularly useful for visual techniques in reminiscence therapy. Take Inspīr senior living’s experience with VR as an example. As explained by chief clinical officer Brian Geyser, a resident with dementia at Inspīr from Sweden had a hard time communicating with others, so they decided to try using VR reminiscence therapy with her. Set up with the VR headgear, projections of the resident’s hometown and university where she taught at were displayed using Google Earth. Suddenly, the resident became attentive and excited, pointing out places in her native language to everyone around her. VR has the potential to elevate reminiscence therapy. It takes a photograph and makes it alive through immersing the patient directly into it. Furthermore, VR can take a person anywhere: from their university in Sweden to the living room they lived in their whole youth, or perhaps on a hot air balloon above Cappadocia! Such projections involve more than just one sense, combining multiple to create a captivating and more powerful experience. And as VR becomes less costly and more common in everyday life, the possibility of its application in senior care becomes a reality. Here are a couple companies with VR headsets dedicated for seniors: MyndVR Virtue Health The Wayback
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Hi everyone! For this post, I just wanted to share a bit about an independent project I've been working on that is related to music and dementia. It's a project I've been working on for a while, so I hope it interests you or sparks some ideas of your own about ways to help patients with dementia!
Without our memories, who are we? From playing piano in Memory Care at the Pavilion, I’ve observed music’s powerful impact on the residents’ memories. I also wondered, which pieces are most beneficial to memory? From researching and documenting on this blog, I knew how songs from people’s youth can transport them to associated memories and emotions. However, I've recently been wondering, how do we know which pieces resonate strongest with dementia patients? For seniors who have lost cognitive ability to retrieve favorite or memorable songs from youth, it’s difficult to compile an effective list. Although caregivers may have an idea of which songs to choose, not all patients have close relatives or friends who are familiar with their youth. Although generations may have similar favorites or top songs, everyone’s background, which significantly influences music choice, is different. To solve this problem, my sister and I have been working on an invention (US 63/093,775) to build music playlists for dementia patients automatically. Here is some information about how we plan for the invention to work:
In light of the new decade, I decided to look into some creative innovations to improve seniors’ well-being that we have seen in the previous decade.
Liftware: 2012 Liftware specializes in spoons and forks that are designed to help people with hand tremors or limited mobility, like with Parkinson’s disease. Sensors in the utensils work actively to counteract tremors. The type of utensils for limited mobility has a flexible handle and always keeps the utensil level. By being able to feed themselves, seniors and others retain dignity, confidence, and independence. Reminder Rosie: 2014 Reminder Rosie is a talking clock that reminds seniors of tasks, like taking medicine or going to meals. It can also simply give a caring message from a loved one. What makes this reminder system special is that the reminders are spoken in the senior’s loved ones voices, which improves compliance with the task. Embodied Labs: 2016 Embodied Labs uses VR to simulate situations and problems that caregivers and seniors may face. It can help the caregiver gain perspective on a certain disease or impairment and improve communication with the patient. Rendever: 2016 Rendever also uses VR, but this time, for seniors. Seniors can experience a variety of different simulations, including customizable memory lanes, interactive games, and immersive videos of swimming with dolphins, riding in a hot air balloon, and more! They can also participate in group experiences, fostering a sense of connection and friendship in their community. Ageless Innovations: 2018 Ageless Innovations focuses on the power of play to help seniors avoid loneliness and isolation. The toy cats and dogs built-in sensors that respond to touch, realistic fur, and responsive sounds (purring and barking). Basically, the robotic pets act like live pets, just without the mess of having to clean up after them or take them to the vet! It’s crazy to think back on how much technological progress the world has made. Even some of the inventions we have today seem like they’re straight out of a sci-fi movie. It’s even harder to imagine what is in store for the future… but I can’t wait to find out |
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