CMS Funded Program Shows Great Promise for Indiana-Based American Senior Communities

American Senior Communities and Mynd Immersive awarded large-scale grant from CMS to study the benefits of using virtual reality in nursing communities across Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Indiana-Based American Senior Communities has partnered with Mynd Immersive (formerly MyndVR) to operationalize a new and innovative way to address isolation and loneliness among their aging residents. The CMS-funded program began in August of 2023 at 15 skilled nursing facilities across the state of Indiana with the main goal of improving overall quality of life, namely by addressing feelings of isolation, a key element of loneliness and depression among older adults, and increased socialization by a minimum of 60% improvement.

The initial outcomes reported to CMS and the Indiana Department of Health included a total of 660 respondents, most of whom had an overwhelmingly positive experience. The results have far exceeded the initial goal of 60% set with CMS:

• 88% success in reducing feelings of isolation
• 88% improvement in socialization
• 91% of residents using VR would recommend it to others

"ASC is very intentional in choosing partnerships that allow us to leverage innovation and technology to enrich the lives of the residents we are honored to serve," said Janean Kinzie, Vice President of Social Wellness & Enrichment at American Senior Communities. "Mynd Immersive has demonstrated significant benefits for our staff and residents, and we are grateful to have participated in Mynd's endeavors to validate these advantages."

Mynd provides a wide variety of interactive, immersive experiences designed to improve emotional, physical, behavioral, cognitive and spiritual health for our exploding population of aging adults. The platform provides meaningful and engaging content experiences across travel, pets, nature, music, theater, meditation, and veteran-specific content.

"As this aging population continues to challenge our healthcare systems, it's imperative that we develop scalable, immersive therapeutics that are driven by clinical efficacy," said Chris Brickler, CEO of Dallas-based Mynd Immersive. "Through this partnership with ASC, our teams are also proving that deploying Mynd across multiple communities with trained staff can be done quickly and cost-effectively."  

The caregiver experience is very important in this process. Mynd Immersive recently collaborated with Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, AT&T 5G Healthcare, and HTC VIVE to release a groundbreaking study on the positive relationship impact between older adults and caregivers using Mynd.

About Mynd Immersive 

Mynd Immersive, formerly MyndVR, is the leading provider of immersive therapeutics for senior living communities, home care agencies, Veteran homes, and adults aging at home in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Mynd is building the most advanced portfolio of original and licensed therapeutic VR content that enables older adults to interact with the outside world in innovative ways that promote engagement, wellness, and positive outcomes. Mynd also co-created DigitalTherapyNOW.org – a purpose-driven coalition of academic and industry partners designed to educate lawmakers and bring awareness to the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2023. For more, visit MyndImmersive.com.  

About American Senior Communities

American Senior Communities offers a wide variety of Lifestyle and Care Options including Garden Homes, Assisted Living, New Energy Wellness, Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing Care, Hospice and Respite. Our mission is to compassionately serve each customer with quality care and excellence. To learn more about American Senior Communities visit ASCCare.com.

CONTACT: myndvr@5wpr.com

SOURCE MyndVR Inc.