Article by Lauren Elcesser, ElderLink
(Posted 2024 December)
ElderLink launched Exploring the Dimensions of Aging through Virtual Reality in early 2024. This project began as a SHAPE the Future of Aging initiative, specifically tied to the “S” or services for older adults and family caregivers’ section of SHAPE. The goal of this project is to increase educational supports/services for those who care for older adults.
Through this pilot project, ElderLink facilitates virtual learning sessions that are 75 minutes in length, offered at no charge, and focus on three topics:
- The Dima Lab on Parkinson’s Disease & Lewy Body Dementia.
- The Elder Safety & Well-Being Lab that focuses on Caregiver Burnout, Intervention and De-escalation techniques for older adults experiencing cognitive decline, and Trauma-informed Care with a focus on caring for older adults who are diagnosed with PTSD.
- The Frank Lab on Social Isolation.
Mission
The mission of this pilot project is to help caregivers, professionals, and community members – those with a vested interest in the well-being of older adults – to better understand how older adults experience dementia, social isolation, and other challenges to their well-being. As a result of the increased understanding and insight gained, participants develop greater empathy and are empowered to develop new tools and interventions that they can apply to caring for or interacting with older adults, whether in a professional capacity or a personal relationship.
The pilot project helps bridge the gap between experience and knowledge by providing the opportunity for participants to engage in a more active learning experience, using an immersive training platform called Embodied Labs. During the lab experience, participants embody a person who is experiencing a particular challenge to their well-being, and everything that is seen and heard on the screen is from the perspective of that person, thus allowing participants to take on or embody the featured older adult.
Accessibility
Although Embodied Labs offers Virtual Reality headsets to their customers, they built a web-immersive platform that allows a wider audience to participate, ensuring a more accessible option for those we serve. Additionally, utilizing headsets can be disorienting for some community members, particularly those experiencing cognitive impairment or balance concerns, so the web-based platform minimizes this barrier while remaining inclusive.
Outreach
To encourage member of the community to take advantage of this training opportunity, we have shared information about it in the Golden Gazette, the Department of Family Services’ Caregiver newsletter, Fairfax County’s text alert notification system, Neighborhood and Community Services’ Common Grounds Newsletter, and with community groups such as Insight Memory Care Center and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.
As of September 2024, 193 people have engaged with the Exploring Dimensions of Aging pilot project through facilitated community sessions as well as pilot demonstrations with groups such as:
- Connections Corner | Volunteer Solutions
- Coordinating Council on Older Adults & Adults with Disabilities (CCAAD)
- Fairfax Commission on Aging (COA)
- Fairfax County 50+ Ambassadors
- Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Deputy Commissioner, Kiersten Ware
Impact
From April 2024-September 2024, a total of 193 participants have been served through this pilot. Of those served, 66% represent “general public/caregivers.”
One hundred percent of participants would recommend the program to others based on their experience with us. We’ve also identified patterns where several caregivers have attended multiple sessions. We attribute this to the insight trainees gain as they engage in a facilitated debrief following the three modules that are included in all “Labs.” Each session is unique because of the unique perspective shared by the caregivers who join us each time.
From April 2024-September 2024, 110 participants have completed a pre-survey prior to attending an ElderLink facilitated session and 43 completed both the pre and post assessments. This represents an overall response rate of 39%. Throughout this project we have done the following to adjust our internal workflow to improve our attendance and survey completion rates:
- Removed maximum registration caps to ensure that everyone who wishes to attend a session can sign up. This has improved the number of participants who join our sessions.
- Started asking participants to complete the pre-survey during the first five minutes of class and the post survey during the last five minutes of class.
Pilot Will Continue Through 2025
Because of the excellent feedback received from the community, the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging will continue to offer the program through next year using grant funding specifically allocated for caregiver support. Year two of the Exploring the Dimensions of Aging through Virtual Reality program will run from December 1, 2024, through November 30, 2025.
ElderLink looks forward to serving many more community members in the upcoming year.
ElderLink welcomes inquiries for closed sessions for community groups and organizations. To inquire about a training session for your group, please contact Deme Warner at Deme.Warner@FairfaxCounty.gov or 703-237-6027.
To register for an upcoming community session, please visit tinyurl.com/exploring-aging or call ElderLink’s Intake Line at 703-324-5374.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).