Virtual Reality and its Role in Hospice Care

Imagine this .... one

moment you’re skiing

down the slopes of the

Rockies, carving in and

out of the evergreens that

are sporadically popping

out of the bright white

snow; you hear the wind

blow past your ears as you

make your way to the base

of the mountain. The next

moment you are home in

your living room, sitting in

your favorite recliner under

a soft blanket drinking a

warm cup of tea. Seems

crazy, right? Right. It is a

little crazy, but it is totally

possible with the help of

Virtual Reality, a service

that I proudly offer to our

patients.

Continuum Hospice in

Capitola, CA is one of the

many companies integrating

the Virtual Reality technology

into their offerings as a

therapeutic service to their

patients. Continuum partnered

up with Rendever, a

VR startup out of Boston,

MA that is geared toward

combating social isolation

in seniors. Through Rendever,

Continuum’s patients

have access to thousands

of different experiences,

trips and settings that are

designed with seniors in

mind. The VR platform

that Rendever provides

allows seniors to accomplish

bucket list goals, visit

their childhood home,

relive exciting adventures,

and connect with others

through their virtual

community programs. VR

gives patients the opportunity

to fulfill end-of-life

wishes that may otherwise

not be possible.

Karla, a Continuum

Hospice patient battling

a cancer diagnosis, has

been using VR as a way

to enhance her personal

well-being. Karla is a

world traveler who has

taken trips all over, where

she has gotten up close

and personal with all sorts

of exotic animals. Now,

unable to jump on a plane

to South Africa to go on

a wild safari, she is able

to experience the thrill

of an African safari from

the comfort of her living

room in San Jose. When

asked about the benefits

of VR, Karla is grateful

because it “takes you out

of your head and puts

you in a good place”. She

is now able to continue

living life on the wild side

as she had been before her

cancer, and the pandemic

took control.

While Virtual Reality

is certainly entertaining,

there are also immense

mental, physical and

social health benefits

associated with its use.

VR has been shown to

improve mental health

because of the cognitive

stimulation, improved

mood, and reduced agitation

and anxiety that users

experience while enjoying

its features. Many users

have shown improved

physical health due to the

upper torso, neck and arm

movement and core engagement

that all naturally

occur when using VR.

Patients have also reported

a reduced perception of

pain while utilizing virtual

reality. For more information

contact Julia Bidgood

at Contiuum Hospice in

Capitola. (831) 249-9454