Using Rendever to improve the quality of life of older adults with cognitive impairments in senior living communities and their family members who live at a distance.

摘要 美国正在经历一场大规模的公共卫生危机， 痴呆症患者，缺乏治愈方法，以及与这一人群的康复相关的挑战。 在痴呆症的治疗方法被发现之前，新技术和干预措施势在必行， 可以减轻阿尔茨海默病（AD）和阿尔茨海默病的压力和情绪负担 老年人及其家庭成员的疾病相关性痴呆（ADRD）（NIA战略计划）。 不幸的是，COVID-19加剧了与社会隔离和精神不佳有关的挑战， 老年人生活社区的健康。虚拟现实（VR）程序Rendever提供了一个 创新和负担得起的解决方案，以应对这些挑战，使老年人在老年生活 社区保持重要的家庭关系，充分参与生活，并与 他们的过去，无论物理位置，通过其先进的通信和网络， 能力的有神经学、行为学和生理学的证据表明， 让人们以超越空间位置的方式感受他人的情感存在。 不幸的是，很少有研究探讨它对老年人社会关系的影响，主要是 由于缺乏其他VR程序的网络和通信能力。第一阶段测试了 Rendever对轻度认知障碍（MCI）或轻度至中度认知障碍的居民的可行性 老年痴呆症患者和他们的家人住在远处。我们的结果表明它是安全的，容易， 使用，非常满意，并为21个使用它的居民家庭成员的二人组带来了变革。 患有MCI和痴呆症的居民同样喜欢VR， 更大的沉浸感。这个第二阶段项目扩展了我们对直播和网络功能的测试 在中环12个长者生活社区， 加州和波士顿的实验设计。我们的目标集中在Rendever对 居住在远处的居民及其成年子女的生活质量，以及这种联系是否 取决于居民的认知障碍程度。我们也关注成年儿童， 与父母一起参加Rendever是否会减少照顾者的内疚感。如果第二阶段成功， Rendever将是唯一一款允许居民继续旅行、查看家庭照片和视频的产品， 并在VR中与家人一起回到童年的家和其他难忘的地方 并在做这件事的同时分享故事，尽管地理上的隔离和认知/身体上的挑战。 重要的是，第二阶段将提供一个严格的，科学的测试，是否Rendever可以改善 居民和家庭成员的生活质量。

ABSTRACT The United States is experiencing a public health crisis on a massive scale due to the number of people with dementia, lack of cures, and challenges associated with caregiving for this population.1,2 until cures for the dementias are discovered, new technologies and interventions are imperative that can reduce the stress and emotional burden of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related-dementias (ADRD) for older adults and their family members (NIA strategic plan). Unfortunately, COVID-19 has exacerbated challenges related to social isolation and poor mental health in senior living communities. The virtual reality (VR) program, Rendever, provides an innovative and affordable solution to these challenges by enabling older adults in senior living communities to maintain important family relationships, engage fully with life, and reconnect with their past, regardless of physical location, through its advanced communication and network capabilities. There is neurological, behavioral, and physiological evidence that virtual environments allow people to feel the emotional presence of others in ways that surpass their location in space.3 Unfortunately, little research has examined its impact on older adults’ social relationships, primarily due to a lack of networking and communication capabilities of other VR programs. Phase I tested the feasibility of Rendever with residents with mild cognitive impairments (MCI) or mild to moderate dementia and their family members who lived at a distance. Our results showed it to be safe, easy to use, highly satisfying, and transformative for the 21 resident-family member dyads who used it. Residents with MCI and dementia equally loved the VR, with residents with dementia reporting greater immersion.This Phase II project expands our test of the live streaming and network features of Rendever with 192 resident-adult child dyads across 12 senior living communities in Central California and Boston with an experimental design. Our aims focus on the impact of Rendever on the quality of life of residents and their adult children who live at a distance and whether this association depends upon residents’ level of cognitive impairment. We also focus on the adult children and whether participating inRendever with their parent reduces care-giver guilt. If Phase II is successful, Rendever will be the only product that allows residents to still travel, view family photos and videos, and go back in time to one’s childhood home and other memorable locations with one’s family in VR and share stories while doing it, despite geographical separation and cognitive/physical challenges. Importantly, Phase II will provide a rigorous, scientific test of whether Rendever can improve residents’ and family members’ quality of life.