By Kris Bailey
To really understand, you should spend a day in my shoes! We’ve all heard that old adage dozens of times and in many circumstances, but rarely do we get the chance to fully understand another’s situation and empathize in a meaningful way. But for the medical and caregiving staff at the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living, we now have an innovative new way to spend time in the shoes of the residents and patients we care for.
The Campus recently piloted an immersive training program from Embodied Labs through a partnership with CalGrow, a California Department of Aging program designed to support caregivers of older adults and people with disabilities by improving skills through advanced training. Using Embodied Labs’ state-of-the-art virtual reality headsets and other immersive technologies, SFCJL staff who participated in the pilot experienced what it’s like to receive care as an aging or disabled adult, and how it can be improved. “By using the VR headset, participants can hear, see, and interact with the environments that someone with dementia or other cognitive impairment encounters daily,” says Amanda Eckford, Senior Recruiter, who has been co-managing the initial training sessions. “It fosters empathy and equips those who experience the training with insights to enhance the quality of care they provide.”
According to Amanda, participants thus far have found the Embodied Labs training to be a helpful contribution to their work. A post-training survey indicated that 95% of the participants thought the experience was valuable and enjoyed the experience. Says one user, “The VR experience is amazing; I saw the barriers and how isolated and alone the patients with Alzheimer’s feel. I learned to speak slowly and keep them engaged, and get to know them and their likes. I want to speak with them more, put myself in their position, (and I) want to let them lead.” Another participant stated that “I feel the experience was incredibly informative and showed me empathy. I have a deeper understanding of how patients with Alzheimer are and how things for them are very stressful.”
Having the opportunity to immerse themselves in this new way of training has been extremely valuable for our employees and can directly affect the way they approach communication with our residents, says Key Shade, Director of Volunteer Services, who partnered with Amanda to implement the trial sessions. “As a trainer, it’s been amazing to both hear from staff about how the experience affected them, and to witness the change in how they approach their work with residents with dementia as a direct result of these immersive experiences. While our staff already are well-trained, this new form of learning really emphasizes subtle differences in how we must communicate differently with each individual resident,” says Key.
One of our core values is to provide an environment that encourages our professional team to learn and improve the delivery of health services to our residents and patients. “This training reminds us that teaching empathy isn’t just about understanding,” says Amanda. “It’s about transforming that understanding into compassionate action.” The team is currently working with senior leadership to implement training to other departments in the coming months.