VR headset lets families, caregivers empathize with Alzheimer’s
A Chicago-based company believes its virtual-reality (VR) training program can help caregivers and families empathize with Alzheimer’s patients, according to a Chicago Magazine story.
Two University of Illinois at Chicago students created a 360-degree immersive experience that utilizes a headset and bodily resonance to allow users to turn the experience into a personal memory.
Users of the Alzheimer’s module enter the virtual world of Beatriz, a woman moving through early, middle and then advanced stages of the disease. The experience also includes a first-person walk through of the brain in which users see neurons, plaques, tangles and other Alzheimer’s-related damage.
“We see that people have better understanding after going through the Alzheimer’s experience that it’s a disease of the brain, and that when people are acting out it’s because of their disease and not because of their personality or intentional behavior,” said Carrie Shaw, creator of Embodied Lab’s VR Alzheimer’s disease program.
Read the entire story below:
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.