8 · SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
The MyndVR company specializes in providing virtual reality programming to the geriatric and senior communities, as well veterans’ homes and home health care providers. In
Pennsylvania, the MyndVR program for memory care patients is unique to St. Barnabas.
Virtual reality brings happiness, calm to memory care patients at St. Barnabas facility
Tucked away in a corner room at The
Arbors at St. Barnabas, a 98-year-old
resident of the memory care program
sits in a comfortable leather chair with a
box-shaped visor strapped over her head,
obscuring her eyes, and headphones cover
her ears.
She looks as if she’d fit in just as easily
SKY’S THE LIMIT
on the Starship Enterprise as the Valencia
senior living facility. Then she begins to
sing along with the virtual reality video
she’s watching.
In bits and pieces, she croons the lyrics
to “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” as
the facilitators of the St. Barnabas MyndVR
program sit back and enjoy the moment.
“She was a singer in high school. She
was in her high school choir, and a lot
of times when I play music for her, she’ll
harmonize along to the songs,” memory
care specialist Anna Foust said.
“She told me she was an alto in the
choir, and the altos always get the harmo-nies
and she still does it to this day. I al-ways
tell her afterwards she was giving me
a show, and she says, ‘Oh, was I? You got it
for free!’”
The moment brings tears to the eyes of
Marjorie Hobaugh, who goes by Midge
and is the specialty care coordinator at the
facility.
“Her family loves this,” Hobaugh said.
“We’ve heard from all their families, and
they’re so appreciative of having another
means to make them happy.”
The MyndVR program for memory care
patients is unique in the state of Pennsyl-vania
to St. Barnabas.
The company itself specializes in pro-viding
virtual reality programming to the
geriatric and senior communities as well as
TECHNOLOGY IN TREATMENT
MYNDVR
BY KAREN PRICE
FOR TRIB TOTAL MEDIA