Application of a Simulated Nature Intervention, Using Virtual Reality & Aromatherapy, on the Experiences of Residents in a Retirement Community
Faculty Advisor Name
Amy Russell Yun
Department
Department of Health Professions
Description
Demographics of the United States are changing; the projected growth of people who live over age 85+ is expanding by millions, leaving significantly more individuals living with limited mobility in retirement communities. In retirement communities, individuals with limited mobility may experience sensory deprivation, a condition by which someone is unable to obtain the amount and type of sensory input one needs for an extended period of time. Literature suggests reduction of sensory stimulation causes stress and contributes to deterioration of people’s mental health, and may be further compounded when individuals residing in inpatient settings perceive a lack of opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, causing them to experience occupational deprivation. While occupational therapy practitioners have a distinct role addressing the sensory and occupational needs of those living with limited mobility in retirement communities, the literature regarding this population’s sensory and occupational experiences is sparse. This research, in part, seeks to better understand the lived experiences of retirement community dwelling individuals.
A large body of research has shown the stress-relieving benefits of engagement with the outdoors across the lifespan, but leaving the home to experience nature is not always a safe or practical option for older adults with limitations to their community mobility. Additionally, sensory based interventions such as virtual reality (VR) and aromatherapy have shown promise for alleviating stress, but the outcomes of such interventions have not been thoroughly investigated with the at-risk population of community dwelling older adults. As such, this project aims to investigate if outdoor natural environments can be recreated using the sensory approaches of VR and aromatherapy to produce meaningful stress relief. The VR provides digital audio-visual recreations of immersive environments delivered via headset, and the aromatherapy matches the olfactory senses with what the participant is viewing to heighten immersion.
This descriptive study featured one group pretest posttest design in addition to phenomenological interviewing. Eleven participants from one retirement community were interviewed about their sensory and occupational experiences within their current residence, and subsequently experienced four sessions of an intervention simulating nature-based environments through virtual reality and aromatherapy. Physiological stress indicators were measured through heart rate and blood pressure, and perceived stress was measured with the PSS-14.
No statistically significant data was found in pre and post testing for perceived stress or heart rate of the retirement community residents. There was a statistically significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in 3 out of 4 intervention sessions, and in diastolic blood pressure in 1 out of 4 intervention sessions. Major themes emerging from interviews included limitations (physical, mental, and environmental), levels of support, changes in occupation, resilience, and both positive and negative sensory experiences. Researchers are still in the process of analyzing and drawing conclusions from the data; interpretations will be complete by the time of the showcase.
Application of a Simulated Nature Intervention, Using Virtual Reality & Aromatherapy, on the Experiences of Residents in a Retirement Community
Demographics of the United States are changing; the projected growth of people who live over age 85+ is expanding by millions, leaving significantly more individuals living with limited mobility in retirement communities. In retirement communities, individuals with limited mobility may experience sensory deprivation, a condition by which someone is unable to obtain the amount and type of sensory input one needs for an extended period of time. Literature suggests reduction of sensory stimulation causes stress and contributes to deterioration of people’s mental health, and may be further compounded when individuals residing in inpatient settings perceive a lack of opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, causing them to experience occupational deprivation. While occupational therapy practitioners have a distinct role addressing the sensory and occupational needs of those living with limited mobility in retirement communities, the literature regarding this population’s sensory and occupational experiences is sparse. This research, in part, seeks to better understand the lived experiences of retirement community dwelling individuals.
A large body of research has shown the stress-relieving benefits of engagement with the outdoors across the lifespan, but leaving the home to experience nature is not always a safe or practical option for older adults with limitations to their community mobility. Additionally, sensory based interventions such as virtual reality (VR) and aromatherapy have shown promise for alleviating stress, but the outcomes of such interventions have not been thoroughly investigated with the at-risk population of community dwelling older adults. As such, this project aims to investigate if outdoor natural environments can be recreated using the sensory approaches of VR and aromatherapy to produce meaningful stress relief. The VR provides digital audio-visual recreations of immersive environments delivered via headset, and the aromatherapy matches the olfactory senses with what the participant is viewing to heighten immersion.
This descriptive study featured one group pretest posttest design in addition to phenomenological interviewing. Eleven participants from one retirement community were interviewed about their sensory and occupational experiences within their current residence, and subsequently experienced four sessions of an intervention simulating nature-based environments through virtual reality and aromatherapy. Physiological stress indicators were measured through heart rate and blood pressure, and perceived stress was measured with the PSS-14.
No statistically significant data was found in pre and post testing for perceived stress or heart rate of the retirement community residents. There was a statistically significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in 3 out of 4 intervention sessions, and in diastolic blood pressure in 1 out of 4 intervention sessions. Major themes emerging from interviews included limitations (physical, mental, and environmental), levels of support, changes in occupation, resilience, and both positive and negative sensory experiences. Researchers are still in the process of analyzing and drawing conclusions from the data; interpretations will be complete by the time of the showcase.
