Virtual reality has been gaining traction as an option for filling care and therapy gaps within senior living. But could VR even be a superior option for therapy compared with “real-life” approaches?
One new study makes this bold claim and offers both normative and analytical evidence for why this may be the case.
The researchers created a VR-based relaxation program — named Flourishing-Life-of-Wish Virtual Reality Therapy — which was offered to the more than 100 palliative care patients with terminal cancer participating in the study.
Half of the participants received the VR treatment, whereas the other half received traditional in-person relaxation therapy.
Both methods were shown to be effective, but the VR intervention showed more significant reductions in both physical and emotional distress, the research showed.
More palliative care providers are helping older adults who are at the end of their lives with their physical symptoms, but they are falling short in addressing their mental health needs, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News reported last year.
Although the study results were based on a somewhat opaque scoring system, the researchers offered several reasons why VR could enhance therapeutic outcomes for palliative care patients or those who have chronic pain or other symptoms.
VR’s removal of a user’s physical surroundings can help isolate the person from distractions or reminders of his or her current condition. Not only can VR create a sense of distance from one’s very real maladies, but VR environments can be designed to engender meditation and a sense of calm, the researchers said.
“VR creates an immersive experience that can generate a sense of presence in a virtual environment,” the study authors wrote. “Our results show that following a FLOW-VRT relaxation session, the symptoms of distress — physical and emotional — that patients in palliative care typically report significantly reduce.”
Those findings also dovetail with recent research that shows that VR, combined with exercise, can help treat chronic pain in older adults.
Many care providers are looking into the option of VR “treatment rooms” where older adults who have mobility issues could “visit” to practice exercises.
The findings on FLOW-VRT were published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Virtual Reality.
