By rich
Only 4% of people who have tried virtual reality systems are over 55. That’s understandable. Seniors are generally skeptical of new devices, question their benefits, and need help when learning new tech. Considering that 90% of people who develop Parkinson’s are over 60, you are likely to be VR-unfriendly. How can you tell whether VR will work for you? Here are some things to consider.
- Are you the person who provides tech help for friends and neighbors? VR might be worthwhile if you’re comfortable with (and maybe enjoy) learning a new tech system or method.
- Do you have a friend or family member who is eager to help you set up and play games? Having someone you know share the experience is more likely to keep you involved. (Jeff, one of our testers, shares his screen time with his grandson.)
- Can you try out a VR system? For as little as $20 a month, you can determine whether VR will work for you. Companies such as Grover, Rent-A-Center, Leaseville, and Flexit allow you to rent a headset, typically on a monthly lease. Costs range between $20 to $40 per month. In addition, some stores allow you to test out the technology in the store; for example, Best Buy lets you try out VR in some of its stores on weekends.
- Can you justify the expense? If you spread the purchase price and the cost of games over a year, your monthly costs would be about $45. After the first year, your cost would be about $10 a month (if you maintain an exercise app subscription).
- Do you want to liven up your exercise machine experience? There are a handful of VR apps that work with existing indoor exercise machines (bicycles, rowing machines, treadmills, ellipticals, stair climbers), enabling you to exercise your way around the “real” world (using Google Maps) or around fantasy worlds (or surf the Internet). Caveat: Exercise machine apps require a subscription.
- Are you antisocial or don’t like exercising in groups? The conventional wisdom is that people with Parkinson’s do better if they socialize. The reality is that many PD people are stay-at-homers and like it that way. (Plus, staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t socialize; it’s just done remotely.)
- Did you previously enjoy exercise systems like Sony Wii? If you enjoyed exercising with the Sony Wii system or you like to use game systems at your gym, a VR system could work well.
When VR might be wrong for you …
- Do you have certain medical conditions? Certain conditions could prevent you from participating in VR, for example, anxiety disorders, a pacemaker, epilepsy, blackouts/seizures, Meniere’s disease, past traumatic brain injuries, post-concussion syndrome, and migraines. In addition, certain Parkinson’s symptoms — for example, frequent falls or severe tremors — may prevent you from fully partaking in VR.