MyndVR, a tech, health and wellness company that provides virtual reality (VR) solutions for thousands of older adults across the country, is now impacting the lives of veterans. The nationally-known company focuses on improving the lives, cognitive outcomes and overall health of seniors and is pleased to announce a new partnership with Long Island State Veterans living with PTSD, depression, dementia and other age-related diseases. This is MyndVR’s first partnership with a veterans home. Therapists and other team members at the home are noticing that the veterans are experiencing improvements in their mood, fewer signs of agitation, as well as generally lifted spirits both while using the VR technology and afterward. They can escape reality and enter a virtual world where they can swim with dolphins, watch a professional artist create a masterpiece or sit in the front row for the musical “The Lion King.” These immersive and meaningful experiences are part of MyndVR’s turn-key virtual reality solution, which includes access to content geared toward adults 55-plus both from Mynd’s original content library and through an exclusive partnership with Littlstar, one of the largest aggregators of VR content in the world.

The veterans home, which offers 350 beds to residents ages 55 to 105, uses 10 sets of goggles multiple times a week and offers one-on-one sessions with veterans as needed. As the residents participate, team members follow along on a tablet and can communicate with the veterans as they enjoy their journey. The veterans home is impressed with the technology and reports many benefits. One resident, who has dementia and usually does not speak, went on a tour through Paris and communicated with the tour guide by talking out loud. For another veteran, who doesn’t like to engage in activities, the VR triggered an outpouring of happiness, and witnessing his joy brought his family to tears. Many reminisced and cried, including one veteran who visited a place he hadn’t been in 60 years. He never thought he would go back, but virtual reality allowed him to.

“Since we rolled out this technology, we have seen positive changes with the veterans,” said Jonathan Spier, deputy executive director at Long Island State Veterans Home. “Most of our residents are World War II veterans, so they didn’t know what virtual reality was, but now they do, and it is really picking up steam. This is a multifunctional device that can impact so many different people. We are big into technology here, and I am always looking for ways to improve the quality of care and quality of life for residents, and this does it. Access to MyndVR’s vast content library allows us to individualize the experience for each resident and make it personal. We are bringing the residents into a whole new atmosphere where it is calm and safe. While we offer sessions with psychologists and therapist, we see this technology as another tool in our toolbox to help the residents. MyndVR is onto something here, and we are thrilled to go along for the ride. The technology holds tremendous therapeutic promise.”

The most inspiring experience was for Al Anderson, 72, who suffers from PTSD. He served in Vietnam for two years and returned to help others as a firefighter. He volunteered at the Nesconset Fire Department in Long Island and eventually became chief. He also worked as the chief fire marshal for the township of Smithtown. He has lived at the Long Island State Veterans Home for more than a year and says virtual reality changed his life.

“I was having an episode one night, and they usually leave me depressed and anxious for two or three days,” said Anderson. “The veterans home brought me the virtual reality goggles, and the experience helped me escape the negative feelings. I had the best seats to the Lion King, and it put me in a happy state of mind. I ended my session playing with puppies, and it made me laugh. I felt relaxed and calm. I laid on my bed with my hand over my chest, and that’s exactly how I woke up the next day. All the negative feelings I had went away, and I was able to feel wonderful the next day. It took me out of the PTSD I was in, which isn’t easy to do. Now, every time they offer virtual reality I will be there. I try not to let negativity get in my life 99 percent of the time, but having a dose of virtual reality prevents the one percent from getting in. I’ve seen a lot in my life, many things I don’t like to talk about, but so many people, not just veterans, suffer from PTSD, and I hope they are able to experience this technology as well. I’m not technologically savvy, but this was easy to use and really impacted my life.”

“I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude toward our veterans, and we are proud to partner with Long Island State Veterans Home. The sacrifices of men and women such as these residents allowed me the freedom as an entrepreneur to create this company and provide virtual reality experiences that improve the quality of life for our nation’s heroes,” said Chris Brickler, co-founder and CEO of MyndVR. “We witness firsthand how virtual reality lifts their spirits, reduces agitation, brings back memories and infuses a sense of joy here and in senior living communities from coast to coast. The future of virtual reality is bright, and our goal is to help as many people as we can.” 

MyndVR, a health and wellness company creating virtual reality (VR) solutions for adults 55-plus, is proving that its proprietary VR solution and customized content has a powerful impact. Over the past year, the company has been conducting a large-scale, nationwide pilot involving several hundred participants in senior living communities in New York, California, Texas, Florida and Kansas. During the pilot, MyndVR and community teams observed mood improvement, reductions in feelings of isolation, triggering of memories, an increased sense of connection, and lifted spirits among participants. Residents across the continuum of care, from independent living to those with diagnoses including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, macular degeneration and Parkinson’s disease participated in the pilot. Many residents cried tears of joy while viewing the unique content, and some felt relief from symptoms of their disease.

MyndVR integrated its technological, care and compassion findings from the pilot into its Mynd Momentum^TM solution. The company plans a commercial launch in the first quarter of 2018 as well as clinical trials in coordination with the MyndVR cognitive science board throughout next year.

“We are encouraged by the success of this national pilot. It is fascinating to see how residents respond as memories flood back,” said Chris Brickler, CEO and co-founder of MyndVR. “Prior to the pilot, we spent six months collaborating with The University of Texas at Dallas and Samsung to engineer the virtual reality platform and customize it for users 55-plus. Through our findings, we know what content works best for this audience, and we are continuing to film fresh and new original content which appeals to them.”

A recent pilot at The Golden Inn and Village in San Ynez, Calif. provided multiple doses of virtual reality to a wide variety of residents across the continuum of care. The Rona Barrett Foundation, a nonprofit that helps low-income seniors, operates all programs and care services for the Golden Inn and Village. The foundation is in partnership with the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara and Surf Development Company. Rona Barrett, former television personality and author, noticed that the residents loved the videos which included music and animals. They were singing, dancing and laughing, and Barrett believes the feel-good content allows seniors to escape and enjoy a reality they may not experience otherwise.

“I have never seen so many seniors as joyful as they were while experiencing MyndVR. For some it was a real adventure,” Barrett said. “The residents were happy, and those feelings continued long after they removed the goggles. I had the best time watching them interact with the device and content. It really changed their lives. MyndVR is truly an asset for older adults. I have been an advocate for seniors for the last 20 years, and it was my father who inspired me to give back. He had early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and I know he would have loved virtual reality. I’m so happy we provided this innovative technology to our residents and represented Central California in this pilot.”

“Most of our residents left the pilot wanting more,” said Anna Widling, director of programs and wellness services at The Golden Inn and Village. “I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I enjoyed watching the reactions from the residents. I remember one resident whose mood really changed when using it. She loves animals, and when she played with the animals virtually she became more relaxed and cheerful. It was heartwarming to see how this improved the moods of many residents. MyndVR was very popular, and we look forward to working with the company in the future.”

Janell Wohler is an administrator at Linn Community Nursing Home in Linn, Kan., where skilled nursing and memory care residents participated in a recent pilot. Wohler noticed residents were reminiscing and in better moods while using the technology. Wohler was amazed by the unique menus and gaze-based navigation, which allowed the residents to use their eyes to select content and move through the experiences.

“We were very pleased with the pilot,” said Wohler. “It really lifted the residents’ spirits, and the energy in the room was amazing. Residents with reduced mobility experienced activities they normally cannot, and many described it as an out-of-body feeling. One woman put on the goggles and started laughing out loud. She was fishing and started talking about outdoor activities she used to do with her family years ago. Another resident who has mild dementia cried tears of joy while conducting an orchestra. She used to teach music and started talking about her former students. After seeing their reactions, I am confident that this is another tool we need in our toolbox to make a positive difference in the lives of seniors.”

At Encore at Avalon Park Assisted Living and Memory Care Community in Orlando, Fla., residents laughed, cried and tapped their feet as they played with animals, went scuba diving and sang in a New York club. Executive Director Kimberly Edwards says memory care residents really enjoyed all the experiences, and their emotions changed for the better.

“It was fascinating to see how the residents reacted to the different videos,” said Edwards. “One resident remembered the times when she raised puppies in her youth, and she was having the best time playing with them virtually and telling us about her childhood. Some residents living with dementia responded with excitement when seeing the VR goggles after the first use. It was truly remarkable to hear. We can envision using MyndVR when families visit. We can have the spouse or other family members try out the technology so they have a better understanding of how this is helping assisted living and memory care residents in a therapeutic way. Then, the resident can go through the experience, and the family can bond together afterward. There are so many possibilities!”

MyndVR is currently accepting presales for its virtual reality solution for senior living communities nationwide. If you are interested in learning more, please visit www.myndvr.com