Let’s Talk About VR.

VR is an exciting arena! Especially as a training and empathy tool for working with people who have cognitive challenges. Companies like Embodied Labs, for instance, have created a VR platform to train clinicians by “walking them in the shoes” of someone experiencing cognitive decline.

At the same time, for people with advanced dementia, VR can be problematic. Especially those in institutional settings. Anything that interferes with their understanding of the world, including virtual environments, can lead to confusion or distress. Not to mention putting something unfamiliar on their heads. VR lacks the real objects, scents, tactile sensations, and genuine social interactions that are essential for this population.

The challenges for institutions are that they are too often under-resourced, including in the realm of tech. They need systems, training, and gear to be successful. They also need funding.

Recent studies on VR + dementia today are based in high-resource settings. Initiatives like the Experience Station, with its simpler tech and broader accessibility, offer a more equitable approach, now.

I can see a future where many people with dementia could be VR “natives” and the tech has advanced to be less invasive, more integrated with the real world, and most importantly, equitably distributed.

Meaningful progress happens when it’s equally distributed.