Rendever Virtual Reality Platform Improves Transition To Home For Older Adults At RiverSpring Living

The use of virtual reality in discharge programs reduces the number of falls and re-admissions

Boston, MA (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Rendever, the Boston-based company pioneering the future of aging through virtual reality (VR), is collaborating with New York-based senior living services provider RiverSpring Living to use VR as a transformational tool in reintegrating seniors in their homes after rehabilitation stays.

Studies in the skilled nursing industry have shown that more than 40% of older adults experienced a fall within six months of being discharged from a hospital or rehab. However, studies have also found that thorough planning can improve patient health and reduce readmission rates. RiverSpring utilizes Rendever’s VR platform to refamiliarize seniors with their homes and any new additions, such as hand railings. Families take videos and photos of the home and upload them to the Rendever platform. From there, staff members virtually walk seniors through the residence and work with the patient to strategize exactly what it will be like to care for themselves at home.

While home assessments are not a new concept to RiverSpring’s rehab program, the use of VR immerses the patient in the experience, providing a more realistic experience of what the patient will encounter, helping to identify needs to be addressed prior to discharge, and allowing for the practice of needed skills once the patient returns home. Importantly, it also helps to motivate the patient to return home by immersing them in the environment and helping them feel safe there.

RiverSpring has implemented this transition with many residents and has seen great outcomes.

Albert Stashin, who is recovering from a hospital stay after medical complications, said “My friend took pictures of the exterior and inside of my home before my return. I found the VR home safety assessment helpful to see what I needed to do in order to prepare and be safe at home. Being safe is important to me so I can live my fullest life.”

“Using this new virtual reality technology incorporated with our rehab home safety assessment is very helpful in determining DMEs and barriers for Albert’s discharge to home,” said Kieran Glacken, rehab therapist. “It’s like being with the patient in his home at the same time so that we can work together on identifying barriers and talk about recommendations/troubleshooting to make sure he is safe to transition back home.”

Rendever’s VR platform also brings RiverSpring residents along on experiences and events they wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend while living in the community. Family moments like weddings, grandkids' soccer games, holiday parties and more are recorded on cameras and uploaded to the Rendever platform so seniors can immerse themselves in the moment and share those memories with their families. Being a part of these special moments helps reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation in seniors, a key mission of Rendever’s.

“Virtual reality is a powerful tool that opens so many doors in the healthcare journey,” said Rendever CEO and Co-Founder Kyle Rand. “We’re seeing lives being changed for the better with this technology in so many ways. Our collaboration with RiverSpring is giving older adults the opportunity to transition safely and live independently at home once again.”

For more information, please visit www.rendever.com or www.riverspringliving.org.

About Rendever
Rendever is overcoming social isolation through the power of virtual reality and shared experiences. From senior living communities to hospitals, their platform is being used to reduce depression and loneliness by fostering personal connections amongst populations where life has become limited. Participants in group sessions can check off bucket list items together, revisit meaningful places and share stories, stay engaged with family members, and more. Rendever is being used by high-profile senior living operators including Revera, Benchmark, and Oakmont, healthcare systems such as UCHealth and Baptist Memorial Health Care, has research funded by the NIA (one of the institutes of NIH), and has commercial partnerships with major organizations like AARP and Verizon. To learn more, please visit www.rendever.com.

About RiverSpring Living
RiverSpring Living, backed by over 100 years of top-rated service as the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, provides progressive care to over 18,000 older adults of all faiths through compassionate care and vibrant community engagement, and is guided by Jewish values and a non-profit mission that advocates and celebrates a vision of empowered aging.