Month: July 2019

10. Vy Chazen, Manager of Virtual Programs at Mather LifeWays, Talks VR for Older Adults

Vy Chazen using VR with a Mather LifeWays resident. Photo courtesy of Lori Keenan

In her role as Manager of Virtual Programs at Mather LifeWays, Vy Chazen has been expanding perceptions of how older adults can use immersive technology.

She has shared her industry wisdom on many big stages, including as a speaker at Aging 2.0 and as a lecturer at Northwestern University. Vy even hosts her own VR Talk Show, The Hive with Vivian, and writes for VRespawn. She’s a highly respected expert in this space and she offers her insights throughout the episode.

If you’d like to connect with Vy, check out her twitter: https://twitter.com/vrchazen

1:25 How did you first get involved with Virtual Reality?

4:40 Explanation of the VR “Degrees of Freedom” Concept

5:50 What are some of the incorrect notions you’ve seen related to VR usage and how can we combat them?

15:40 How did the older adults react to Onward (A multiplayer shooter game)

17:00 Where does Mather LifeWays’ push for innovation stem from and how does the team avoid the trappings of complacency?

23:30 Considering your location near Northwestern University, have you created any University partnerships?

33:10 What are some unique skills that people can bring to this industry?

45:05 What are your parting words of wisdom for somebody who is looking to use immersive technologies with the older adult population?

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9. Danielle Lavallee, Director of Interior Design at Belmont Village

This episode we are joined by Danielle Lavallee, Belmont Village’s award-winning Director of Interior Design. She discusses her creative process, some oft-overlooked Senior Living design features, and her biggest lessons learned. This weekend is an especially exciting time for Danielle. Her latest project, Belmont Village Lincoln Park in Chicago, is having its grand opening and open house this weekend!

To follow Danielle’s incredible Senior Living design work, visit her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d4designed/

Show Notes:

0:48 How did you end up in Senior Living?

2:13 What is your day-to-day like?

5:32 How do you piece together the themes on your projects?

10:00 Do your ideas typically stem from one idea, like at your Berkeley Project, or are they derived from an amalgam of ideas?

14:02 What are some subtle design features you’ve implemented that the average visitor may not notice?

18:30 What are some of the big lessons you had to learn early in your career after entering this space?

21:10 What are the emotions of a grand opening like as a designer?

23:23 Are there any signatures or common threads in your work?

24:35 What advice do you have for others who are pursuing careers in Senior Living design?

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