West Orange—Daughters of Israel, a skilled nursing facility with a rehabilitation center for subacute care, has just introduced the OmniVR, the first virtual rehabilitation system designed specifically for the needs of medically complex patients, including aging adults.
At first glance, one might think the OmniVR® is a Wii™ or Xbox™ , which are both recreationally based, rather than therapeutically based systems. Wii and Xbox also pose challenges for older adults, ranging from the fast-paced, complex graphics to the operation of the controller.
The OmniVR is specifically geared for older adults and is designed as a professional rehabilitation tool with “functional” objectives aimed at improving strength, balance, mobility, gait, endurance and cognitive skills. The OmniVR’s specialized camera and software eliminates the need for a hand controller, and the speed and graphics have been designed to meet the needs of aging adults. Furthermore, the interactive software provides positive feedback during the session, motivating the user, rather than the “win-lose” approach of the Wii and Xbox systems.
According to Allison Zweiman, director of Rehabilitative Services at Daughters of Israel, “The OmniVR has truly been an asset to our treatment repertoire. It allows the patients to be engaged in dynamic exercises that are transferable to their real-world environment. The wide range of programs offered provides meaningful activities to comprehensively target individualized goals and has surely resulted in positive outcomes and positive feedback!”
In addition, the Omnisound 3000E ultrasound machine, a proprietary technology provided by Accelerated Care Plus (ACP) for the Rehab Center’s pain management program, was actually utilized in Brazil this summer for the Summer Olympics by the USA Basketball, Wrestling and Track & Field teams. The therapeutic ultrasound machine is utilized for rehab clients at Daughters of Israel to assist in the treatment of tissue healing, tendonitis, muscle spasms, joint stiffness, arthritis, contractures and slow-healing wounds.
A similar version of ACP’s Omnistim FX2 Pro for PENS (Patterned Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation) is also used at Daughters (the Omnistim FX2 Sports Model was the model used in Brazil). The electrical stimulation machine assists in the treatment of muscle re-education, stroke recovery, joint replacement, bladder control, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
