The December issue of the South Florida Hospital News shares an article on Centric Consulting’s use of virtual reality to improve hospice care and assisted living patients’ quality of life.
Over the past year, Centric Consulting worked on developing a virtual reality program to improve the quality of life in hospice and assisted living patients. The South Florida Hospital News article takes a look at the pilot project, sharing its successes and the inspiration behind the idea.
Dr. Marcie Stoshak-Chavez, Centric’s National Healthcare Practice Lead, helped drive the project, currently being validated at Vista Springs Quail Highlands assisted living facility in Ohio. Vista Springs agreed to pilot the proof of concept project after Centric worked with Integrated MD, a San Diego-based hospice for initial testing.
An Excerpt
The pilot project, which has been underway at Vista Springs Quail Highlands assisted living facility in Ohio for the past few months, uses VR headsets to provide residents with an escape from their everyday lives—whether that’s through a virtual tour of Italy, a scuba-diving experience, or just time spent in a calm, meditative place.
“One of the biggest benefits of this technology is that it allows our community members to find their happy place,” said Lisa Izzo, Vista Springs Quail Hollow life engagement director. “It provides a distraction and relieves anxiety without the use of pain medications.
“As one of our community members told me, it takes them to a different world,” she added. “It gives them a different kind of joy.”