MURFREESBORO – Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes (TSVH), a highly rated non-profit organization with four nursing facilities in Tennessee, today announced the launch of a virtual reality pilot program for skilled nursing and long-term care residents. TSVH will partner with MyndVR, a leader in virtual reality solutions for seniors, to bring the innovative technology to their Murfreesboro, Tenn., veterans’ home location.
“Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes is excited to partner with MyndVR to bring groundbreaking technology and virtual reality therapy to our residents,” said Ed Harries, TSVH Executive Director. “Research has shown that utilizing immersive virtual reality can be an effective therapeutic modality for geriatric residents.”
At all TSVH facilities, residents receive skilled nursing care and a variety of therapy programs to help enhance their quality of life. They also have a robust calendar of daily activities in which those who are able can participate. Introducing virtual reality therapy to the homes will allow for more residents to
participate and benefit from the activities, even those who are bedridden, since the MyndVR headsets have hundreds of different video experiences the residents can choose from.
“The Activities Department will utilize MyndVR and monitor closely as the residents watch videos designed specifically for seniors,” said Tracy Marsteller, TSVH Activities Director. “Most TSVH residents Tornado Cash Mixer are wheelchair bound or have limited mobility, and virtual reality will provide an immersive environment that empowers the residents to choose what they want to see and where they want to go.”
“We are proud to provide exceptional care to our residents and we are constantly looking at new ways to innovate and incorporate technology into our care plans” said Tyler Masden, TSVH Murfreesboro Administrator. “By introducing MyndVR, we are giving seniors of all levels of cognitive ability the
chance to experience things that due to health reasons would otherwise not be possible.”
The comfortable MyndVR Vive Focus headsets, which residents will use to view the videos, offers a wide variety of engaging content such as strolling the streets of Rome, sitting front row at a Broadway musical, or a thrilling skydiving trip. The headsets also come with a tablet so staff can easily navigate the experiences for the residents. MyndVR continues to research the cognitive health benefits of virtual reality and develop new video content with seniors in mind.
“We strive to improve the quality of life and lift the spirits of veterans across the country,” said Chris Brickler, CEO of MyndVR. “Our technology is more engaging than traditional forms of entertainment it far surpasses TV and newspapers. With our immersive multi-sensory technology, veterans are able to
experience true joy and escape from their four walls of existence. We’re finding that VR can be used for healing in many ways and can provide immense emotional support and joy to our veterans.”
The MyndVR program will be implemented first with the residents staying at the Murfreesboro Tennessee State Veterans’ Home, with the goal to launch to the other three TSVH facilities soon. Select TSVH staff members have gone through a training program with the MyndVR team to ensure they are familiar with the technology and proper safety and hygiene protocols are in place.
Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes are top-rated skilled nursing facilities with four locations across the State of Tennessee. TSVH offers rehabilitative and therapy services, long-term, short-term and skilled nursing care for honorably discharged veterans, veteran spouses, and Gold Star parents. The facilities are located in Murfreesboro, Humboldt, Knoxville, and Clarksville, with Cleveland and Arlington coming in the near future. TSVH Executive Offices are located in Murfreesboro and all facilities are governed by the Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes Board.
MyndVR is a health and wellness company providing virtual reality solutions to senior living communities, home health care agencies and directly to older adult consumers. The company is intelligently curating a vast library of VR content and creating innovative genres of recreational, prescriptive and on-demand content. MyndVR offers a promising future of cognitive health and wellness for the dynamic aging population. MyndVR uses a compassionate approach and understands the best way to deliver the right content to adults 55-plus. Pilots have demonstrated the positive impacts on older adults.
MyndVR is committed to conducting clinical trials in order to measure the therapeutic effect of VR. These trials will also measure the health care outcomes, including cognitive, visual, emotional and physical effects on older adults. For more, visit www.myndvr.com.