At the Long Island State Veterans Home (LISVH), residents can travel to Italy, skydive or even swim with sharks — all without leaving the building.
Through virtual reality (VR) therapy, veterans are transported to places around the world and immersed in interactive experiences.
Since its introduction to the LISVH in 2018, the nursing home has worked with Mynd Immersive to offer over 1,000 virtual destinations and activities. This therapy gives veterans the chance to revisit meaningful locations or discover new ones. Some choose to return to past vacations while others choose flying in outer space. And for some, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
In addition to travel, residents can participate in activities that use handheld controls. Experiences such as butterfly catching, archery and interacting with animals in a petting zoo add a physical element for the veterans.
Deputy Executive Director of the LISVH, Jonathan Spier, explained that VR therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention used to address a range of conditions, including chronic pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), physical rehabilitation and stress reduction.
“When people are sad and depressed, we’re not just giving them a pill, we’re trying to figure out the reasoning behind it and [how we can] alter their sense of reality [to] bring them to a place that puts them in a better frame of mind,” he said.
Beyond its clinical benefits, the program also promotes social interaction.
Spier added that residents can either explore independently or participate in group sessions.
“We have residents who do trips together, and they’ll do a walking tour of Europe or a walking tour of the Museum of Natural History. They can all talk together and communicate, and it promotes dialogue,” he said.
Whether residents choose to do it alone or with a company, the goal is for the residents to socialize and engage in mental stimulation.
In addition to travel, residents can participate in activities that use handheld controls. Experiences such as butterfly catching, archery and interacting with animals in a petting zoo add a physical element for the veterans.
Tom O’Donnell has been a resident of LISVH for the past two years, and previously served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He said that while he would prefer to physically participate in activities outside the facility, VR therapy and other experiences the LISVH offers are the next best alternative.
“Those are things that make me feel good. [It] makes me feel more relaxed and more willing to put up with things the way they are,” O’Donnell said.
During his last VR therapy session, he explored the U.S. Route 66, a 2,448-mile road trip across the United States from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. It was one of the first U.S. Federal Highways and is known as the “Mother Road.”
“I enjoyed doing it and I look forward to doing more,” he said. “I like touring locally [and] I’m somewhat surprised by how clear everything is in that machine.”
During the sessions, residents can follow along with on-screen subtitles while listening to narration that describes the environment they are touring and shares details about its history.
In more interactive experiences — such as swimming with sharks — virtual characters speak and respond in real time, creating the feeling that the resident is truly participating in the activity.
These therapy sessions are offered multiple times a week and staff adjust the schedule when residents are experiencing heightened stress or emotional distress.
Chris Brickler, CEO of Mynd Immersive, recalled that when he was first introduced to virtual reality, he immediately saw its potential within the health care industry as a powerful tool for patient care.
Inspired in part by his grandfather’s experience with dementia, Brickler became motivated to explore how immersive technology could improve the quality of life for older adults and veterans alike.
“There’s a really powerful component to this technology that lets people out of their four walls [and] into a completely different environment,” he said. “They’re willing to do things in those environments, and that’s great for the health of veterans that don’t get as much [physical activity].”
Spier echoed this sentiment and emphasized that the goal is to meet the residents’ needs.
“Its the residents' preferences and if we can make their experience pleasurable, that’s a big win for us at the end of the day,” he said.
