Virtual reality firm Rendever has secured nearly US$4.5m in grants to tackle social isolation among older adults through immersive technology.
The funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) includes US$3.8m for the Thrive At Home Program and an additional grant to build a caregiver support network in VR. These funds will enable Rendever to bring its technology to the large majority of individuals and caregivers who are ageing in place and lacking structural social support.
The investment continues Rendever’s work alongside the University of California, Santa Barbara, and adds new partnerships with the research organisation RAND and with Right at Home, a home care provider, to bring this technology into the home care market.
Together, they will run studies to test whether VR can build relationships across living environments, reducing social isolation, improving mental health and enhancing well-being across the ageing lifespan. At the same time, Rendever will study the impact of caregiving tools, including its Dementia & Empathy training programme.
“Our Phase II trial has shown the power of VR to effectively build and enhance family relationships across distances – even across country lines. The future of ageing depends on technology that effectively reshapes how we experience these core parts of the human experience as we get older,” said Kyle Rand, Rendever’s chief executive. “We know there’s nothing more holistically impactful than our social health. Over the next three years, we’ll work across the industry to build the next generation of community infrastructure that delivers real happiness and forges new relationships, all while driving meaningful health outcomes.”
Previous work in this NIH line of research has shown that family members experience a significant reduction in stress and depression after a four-week social intervention in Rendever. Recent results show that the positive effects of social VR interventions are increased for families navigating dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Alongside the funding announcement, Rendever is welcoming Sarah Thomas to its board of directors. Thomas is a global expert on ageing, serving as both a thought leader and a venture partner in the ageing technology industry. She has worked with major companies to launch products in new ageing markets and has helped develop membership models that the company says transform the senior living industry.
“I’m honoured to join Rendever’s Board at a pivotal moment for AgeTech adoption,” said Thomas. “Virtual reality is proving its power to combat isolation, improve mental and cognitive health, and elevate quality of life for older adults. I look forward to helping scale Rendever’s impact across senior living and into the home – advancing clinically-validated, engaging, and accessible VR experiences that enable older adults to live fuller, healthier, more connected lives.”
Rendever’s platform is used by senior living operators including Oakmont Management Group, Marquis Health and MBK Senior Living, and by healthcare systems such as UCHealth and Cleveland Clinic. The company has research funded by the NIH and NIA, and commercial partnerships with organisations including AARP and Verizon.