Rendever Deploys Virtual Reality Program at The Oaks at Algonquin Senior Living
October 18, 2022
ALGONQUIN, IL—Rendever, a company pioneering the future of aging, partnered with The Oaks at Algonquin Senior Living to boost health and wellness, increase engagement and create positive shared experiences among senior residents.
“What makes this relationship special is the alignment we have as partners,” said David Stoller, VP of partner success at Rendever. “From executive leadership…to the staff making this possible, working with the team at Spectrum is what makes these special experiences possible for residents.”
The senior living community launched the partnership with an interactive month-long event called “World Explorers of Algonquin.” During this program, 45 residents signed on to travel to new destinations around the world three times a day through Rendever’s virtual reality sessions. The participants earn points for joining the guided tours and compete for who has the most points at the end of the month. To create a truly immersive experience for residents, The Oaks at Algonquin team paired each session with an educational and culturally competent activity. For example, while on a virtual tour of popular sites in Germany, the residents also enjoyed a homemade pretzel with German beer cheese and a blind German beer tasting.
“Since launching this pilot program, we’ve seen our participation rates in community activities double,” said Jim Faust, director of entertainment and programming at The Oaks at Algonquin. “It’s exciting to see how engaged residents are with the programs. After each session, we talk about their travels, and they are excited to share past experiences or memories that connect to the destinations. For example, when we visited New York, residents spoke about past Broadway shows they saw or memories from previous visits to the city.”
This pilot program allows residents to join the sessions through the headsets, but The Oaks at Algonquin also casts the virtual reality sessions onto a theater screen so everyone watching can also enjoy the experience. In addition to the “World Explorers of Algonquin” program, the community also joins RendeverLive sessions twice a week.
“The decision to partner with Rendever was easy. The value was immediately made clear after the first session—and even more so after seeing the engagement with the ‘World Explorers of Algonquin’ program! Our residents have every opportunity to explore new places, build friendships and ultimately, have fun,” said Molly Davis Nedley, national director of entertainment and programming at Spectrum Retirement Communities, which operates The Oaks at Algonquin. “The enthusiasm our residents show to use Rendever means that they can also find joy in new technologies. They’re embracing it, and it’s wonderful to see platforms created specifically for seniors so they can be a part of this new tech age as well.”
Spectrum Retirement Communities continues to serve its 43 communities with the best tools to enrich the lives of its residents. The partnership between Spectrum Retirement Communities and Rendever is a step forward in their shared mission of forming a new future of aging defined by rich engagement.
