Re:Garde Program - Training and Maintaining Visual Perception in Older Adults

Seniors deal with considerable visual demands (driving, communicating, traveling) and reduced vision affects their quality of life, ability to enjoy activities, and age-in-place. Vision loss has a heavy, increasing, economical and social burden. It can also have substantial impacts on caregivers physically, psychologically, and financially because one tends to miss more work, be less productive, and thus have fewer job opportunities.This registration will describe the clinical portion of a larger study designed to evaluate both the feasibility and effectiveness of the Re:Garde Program, a Virtual Reality (VR) visual training program for older adults to help maintain visual perception to promote quality of life and prolonged independence. In partnership with our care partners the investigators will implement the Re:Garde Program at an interprofessional clinic and as part of a loaning program for older adults to use in the home.The clinical portion of this study will look at how effective the Re:Garde program is at maintaining or improving visual perception, ability to conduct activities of daily living (e.g. read, drive, cook, exercise etc.), general wellness, and quality of life. The feasibility of implementing this program in the two settings will be evaluated separately as part of the full protocol.

Inclusion Criteria:65 years of age or olderHave self-reported healthy vision or only self-reported vision issuesCan have corrected vision and use glasses/contacts with the VR headsetHave access to Wi-Fi if participating from homeExclusion Criteria:Vision impairments (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.) as diagnosed by a medical professionalCervical conditions, injuries, or open face wounds that would make it unsafe to use the VR headsetCannot speak or understand English