This article was done back when I was interning under the National STEM Honor Society (NSTEM). I got the opportunity to interview Xavier Jackson, a visionary who seeks to treat dementia with cutting edge VR technology:
The Future of Dementia Care: Virtual Reality
By Samuel Lind
OMAHA, Neb. — In the face of improper care towards the ailing elderly, Xavier Jackson seeks to revolutionize the way we treat those who suffer from forms of dementia. His vision: Virtual Reality that simulates and stimulates. To improve memory retention, social skills and more, Jackson and his team are on the crux of releasing demos for patients, training their motor and cognitive functions.
In 2017, Jackson founded The Local Art Plug as a means of connecting the wider community with local artists. When he spearheaded a digital art gallery for the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, he started to ponder the potential of VR beyond entertainment. A series of possibilities awaited, but the avenue Jackson chose to walk down? Mental health.
“Our small business association here in Nebraska pointed me towards the National Institute [of Aging],” said Jackson. “They were accepting any and all ideas for Alzheimer’s-dementia research. So I started thinking of ways to combine our already existing Virtual Reality space with different cognitive therapies or training for Alzheimer’s-dementia patients. And that’s kind of what led us to work where we are today.”
While VR’s rise in popularity in the last 10 years may be commonly attributed to entertainment (video games, theme parks, etc.), it has also had breakthroughs in the medical world. It has innovated surgical practice, “establishing high ratings for both realism and training capacity.” Furthermore, VR has also been used to assist therapy with agoraphobic patients, leading to “significant reductions in anxious avoidance of, and distress in, everyday situations compared with usual care alone.” Jackson’s work is a further step in the field of medical VR.
Today, Jackson’s team is working on a two-part demo to show to clients, collaborators and partners. The first is described as an “escape room-style” game. The patient’s simulation would involve them operating familiar tasks, such as turning off your stove or planting celery in the garden. Whether they’re in the kitchen, garden or garage, a repetition of these monotonous routines will stimulate the cognitive functions of their brains.
“I believe that there’s already some static 2D games that are in use that are effective, but we can take those games, make those virtual and immersive,” said Jackson. “and other sides of that would be continued training for the nurses.”
The second work-in-progress demo is intended for those revolving around the dementia patient, whether nurse or family. “We’re also creating, kind of at the same time, a first-person virtual reality walkthrough of what it would be like to have dementia and experience that.” This will launch in the hope that it will further educate nurses and loved ones of the struggles an individual goes through with this deadly disease.
These games will be designed around the older population. Stationary by design, they will reduce risks of falling and motion sickness. Pilot studies for these games will begin within three months – sooner, if they’re deemed ready – according to Jackson. The success of such programs will be measured by the patients’ improved cognitive and social abilities, along with memory retention.
Jackson has faced many challenges in his path to revolutionize the mental healthcare world, such as the restraints around interviewing the cognitively impaired, per HIPAA, but Jackson has often received feedback and insights from nurses, family members, and early-stage dementia patients. Some of Jackson’s greatest memories from this project include talking to people at the Intercultural Senior Center to hear their stories, what they’re going through, and what the seniors are facing.
“And it’s also helping me just learn more about the dementia care industry as well, because our family members have dementia. I didn’t really know too much about it outside of just seeing my grandfather every once in a while. So this has been able to help me see the lack of, I guess, support.”
Jackson says the lack of current dementia care is a primary concern with the current mental healthcare system. He cited his grandfather’s dementia care as being non-existent beyond the physical element. “All the nurse really does is just make sure that he’s cleaning himself, that he’s not hurting himself, then the nurse leaves. That’s important, but I thought there is a higher level of service… Finding out that that training isn’t standard, that’s like an extra add-on. I’d love to see that become the base-level of, okay, now that you’re clean, let’s do this VR training for 15-20 minutes together.”
Jackson hopes VR will usher in a new age of care, and believes it’s already on the way to doing so. Due to the improved brain stimulation (when compared to the current static exercises) and the sensory experience, he thinks it will become far more commonplace. “One of the barriers that one of the facilities is facing is that they only had one VR headset. So I think as the price for VR headsets gets cheaper, as the technology gets better and probably easier to wear, I could see that being a daily thing that people do.”