Located south of the city of Geneva, in Switzerland, and bordered by the Arve River, the Champel district offers a peaceful and green living environment. This is where two medico-social establishments (EMS) are located - the Les Bruyères residence and the Val Fleuri establishment - recently equipped with Lumeen virtual reality headsets. These two structures each acquired a Lumeen device with 3 helmets, in 2021 for Val Fleuri and in 2022 for Les Bruyères.

Initially a source of curiosity, virtual reality immersions quickly found their place within the range of activities offered by the animation teams. They just as quickly elicited very positive feedback from residents. To better understand the benefits observed of the use of virtual reality headsets for elderly people, we went to meet members of the animation team from each of the establishments: Gregory Galley, head of the animation department for EMS Les Bruyères and Damien Corajod, animator at EMS Val Fleuri. A look back on several months of use, in the heart of Swiss Geneva.

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Immersion in two social medical institutions (EMS) in the Champel district, in Geneva

With more than 200 residents, EMS Val Fleuri is one of the largest medico-social institutions in Geneva. For its part, EMS Les Bruyères welcomes more than 70 residents. These two establishments include teams entirely dedicated to working with elderly people, who support their “social, cultural and relational life”. For example, the EMS Val Fleuri animation team consists of a dozen professionals.

The animators rely on a wide range of occupational hobbies and personalized activities, which are all pretexts for the work of” Self-esteem ”, of” blossoming ”,” to the encounter and to the social link ”, in the words of Gregory Galley himself. For Damien Corajod it is also about” to make [residents] experience as many positive emotions as possible and to support them in the most difficult emotions ”.

Each virtual reality session is unique and is driven by the animator-resident relationship. ” There is no single way to use Lumeen ”. It's all the job of the animator to” clear the path before and during the activity ”, so that the resident is as comfortable as possible.

The objective is then to make each immersion a positive experience. Every resident is involved in Lumeen sessions, whether or not they suffer from cognitive disorders, as soon as they express the wish.

How is virtual reality integrated into the animations offered in EMS?

Within EMS Les Bruyères, three workshop formats are regularly offered:

- Of workshops open to all (residents, professionals, families) organized every month in the cafeteria premises” Anyone can come and try it and see what virtual reality gives, in real life ”;

- Workshops called” collectives ” which bring together 2 or 3 elderly people maximum;

- Workshops Individuals, upon request.

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Within EMS Val Fleuri, individual formats or in small groups, of 3 to 5 people, prevail. Because of the size of the establishment, careful organization is necessary to allow an equitable distribution of helmets between the various EMS units and its numerous residents. In both medico-social institutions, formats for smaller audiences are generally offered at least once a week; more, when staff and time constraints permit.

So how does a session take place?

Damien Corajod guides us through the three main stages of a virtual reality session, at EMS Val Fleuri.‍

‍First, explain the proposed approach and leave the choice of immersion to the resident

The first experience is important:” if it evokes positive emotions, the person will want to start over ”. The way in which the tool is presented to the resident is then essential: it depends on the sensitivity of the facilitator, as well as on the knowledge he has of the person. The facilitator must be gentle and pedagogical, make sure to reassure the person, show them the helmet and how it works, so that they can be open to using it:” At any time, they can say stop the experience ”. And then comes the choice of immersion. ” I like to explain to them that, thanks to this case, we will be able to travel from Val Fleuri, to escape Val Fleuri ”. But for what destination? The possibilities of excursions are numerous, whether you want to find significant places of the past or to dive into new exotic adventures: swimming with dolphins, walking in dog sleds, discovering Greece... more than 100 experiences are available and new ones are published every month in the catalog!

Then, accompany the immersion

A virtual reality session is an experience in its own right. First of all, in terms of comfort: if the resident is not comfortable using the helmet, the facilitator can suggest that you just put it over their eyes while they get familiar with this new device. In addition to the visual experience, the animator accompanies the immersion with the proposed comments;” If I know the place well, I also add my own flair with lived experiences ”.

Often, Damien invites the most reluctant residents to join him to observe, from his tablet, the experience lived by another elderly person. A method that allowed him to convince some refractory people to try immersion in turn, with the helmet this time!

Finally, comes the return phase

Sometimes the exchange is created spontaneously at the end of the session, motivated by the trip that has just been experienced or guided by the emotions felt. In fact, many residents tend to remember memories and share them. Other times, it is up to the facilitator to encourage discussion; in these cases, the materials made available can prove to be valuable allies.

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Between wonder and calm, the Lumeen device at the service of Swiss residents 

More often than not, the feedback from residents is most positive. Gregory Galley describes virtual reality headsets as” a magnificent tool ” for the most agitated elderly people and refers to appeasement as the key word of this experience;” There are even people who fall asleep ”.

The Escape module, which offers trips or even real immersions as close as possible to nature, is a real success within both EMS. Residents are coming.” Like in the movies ”, some looking for exotic immersions — an animator evokes a resident” Thailand fan ”! —. “Nearby” destinations, such as Swiss landscapes, which are more likely to bring back memories, are also popular with the entertainment teams:” There is a lot of sharing when we touch on lived experience ”.

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Another key success: content featuring animals is among the most appreciated by residents. Lumeen has also set up a partnership with the Beauval Zoo, ranked 4th most beautiful zoo in the world, to enrich its catalog with animal content. Grégory Galley thus evokes a particularly agitated resident, who only finds relief in viewing this content:” As soon as she saw me, she associated me with this tool ”, “she talks about it to the other residents, to the animators ”. Damien Corajod, for his part, recalls a laugh shared with a resident, as she raised her legs to “escape” an animal that appeared at the bottom of her screen, for fear that it would touch her.

While these testimonies make you smile, they are far from being mere anecdotes. Because the effects of the use of virtual reality have been the subject of a growing number of studies for more than 20 years, which are helping to demonstrate its benefits: whether for improving the well-being and socialization of elderly people, for the reduction of anxiety, pain or even for the alleviation of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The Lumeen device is part of this dynamic and participates, alongside scientific experts and partners, in several user studies and clinical studies. Used as a non-drug therapy solution, the Lumeen device is also certified medical device.

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After the numerous Lumeen sessions organized within these two Swiss EMS, we were proud to note the great appreciation expressed by the facilitators for our solution. Both confirmed the desire, for their institution, to continue this use with elderly people.” overall very receptive ”. At EMS Les Bruyères, around a third of residents are now happy to benefit from these sessions. We would like to sincerely thank Gregory Galley and Damien Corajod for the rich — and motivating — interviews they kindly granted us. Lumeen is standing alongside EMS Les Bruyères, EMS Val Fleuri, and all Swiss establishments that would like to do so, to continue this great adventure.

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➡️ To watch a testimonial video from an establishment click on this link.

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