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Our NewsDepth A Plus this week goes to a high school senior who’s using virtual reality technology to help senior citizens.
Olivia Wenzel learned about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in one of her classes at Laurel School in Cleveland.
Alzheimer’s and dementia are diseases that slowly cause senior citizens to lose their memory and basic skills.
Olivia learned about a treatment called reminiscence therapy, which helps people with dementia recall memories from their past.This inspired her to start a business called Altrutec LLC.
Through her business, she created a virtual reality application that could help patients improve memory, mood and cognitive abilities.
The app’s game is an immersive experience. It shows the user an environment they would recognize from their past, such as a 1950’s town square, and gives them a task to complete, like helping someone find their lost cat. There’s also music from that time period, and characters to interact with.
Olivia says she has a family history of dementia and that’s what sparked her interest in the subject.
She also says she hopes to continue the business when she goes to college next year, but has also considered selling it to a VR company.
Olivia, we’re proud to award you this week’s NewsDepth A Plus for using technology and creativity to tackle these serious diseases. Great job!