ClarkLindsey Expands Virtual Reality Training to Deepen Understanding of Residents’ Experiences
- ClarkLindsey
- May 1, 2019
- 2 min read
ClarkLindsey has introduced an immersive virtual reality program that helps staff, residents, families, and clinical students better understand the lived experiences of people facing cognitive changes, sensory loss, and serious illness. The training uses scenario‑based simulations to offer a first‑person view of common age‑related conditions. The goal is to strengthen empathy and improve communication across the community.
What Happened
ClarkLindsey has adopted virtual reality technology from Embodied Labs, a company known for creating educational simulations that portray the perspectives of individuals navigating various health challenges. The program places participants inside the viewpoint of characters experiencing conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, hearing and vision loss, and terminal cancer.
The training was initially introduced for staff members and has since expanded to include residents, family caregivers, and visiting students. Participants use a headset and computer to step into different scenarios, each designed to illustrate how changes in cognition, perception, and physical ability can shape a person’s daily experience.
Team members across departments — not only those in direct care roles — have taken part. Many describe the sessions as emotionally powerful, offering insights that traditional training methods cannot replicate.
ClarkLindsey plans to add modules focused on Parkinson’s disease and other chronic conditions as they become available.
Why This Matters
Understanding what older adults may be feeling or perceiving is essential to providing thoughtful, person‑centered support. Virtual reality training offers a way to build that understanding in a more immediate and relatable way than classroom instruction alone.
For staff, the simulations can strengthen communication skills and reinforce the importance of patience and clarity. For families, the experience can help explain behaviors or reactions that may otherwise be confusing or distressing. For students, it provides a meaningful introduction to the complexities of aging and caregiving.
By offering this training broadly, ClarkLindsey is helping create a shared foundation of empathy across everyone who interacts with residents.
Key Details at a Glance
Technology Partner: Embodied Labs
Who Can Participate: Staff, residents, family members, and clinical students
Current Modules: Alzheimer’s disease, sensory loss, and end‑of‑life experiences
Planned Additions: Parkinson’s disease and other chronic conditions
Purpose: To build deeper understanding of residents’ perspectives and strengthen communication
Broader Context
Virtual reality is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in healthcare education. Across the country, organizations are using immersive simulations to help caregivers understand conditions that affect memory, mobility, perception, and emotional well‑being. These tools support a broader shift toward person‑centered care, where empathy and insight are considered essential components of quality service.
ClarkLindsey’s adoption of this technology reflects a growing recognition that supporting older adults requires not only clinical knowledge but also a nuanced understanding of their lived experiences.
Source Attribution: This post is based on publicly reported information originally covered by The News‑Gazette.
