For three years, Juan Carlos has been a dedicated primary caregiver to his mother, who has dementia and recently underwent major heart surgery. Juan Carlos reached out to Rendever’s Expanding Impact Program and requested our help:
“I think what you are doing is amazing and this would be a godsend for both mom and I; for her, because it will give her a sense of purpose to share something she is excited about and for me, because it will allow me to do something I love with my mom.”
Juan Carlos and his mom were awarded the experience grant and expressed excitement to create memories that they never thought were possible. Here is their story.
Juan Carlos’ mom is originally from Cuba and grew up on a farm. Her family has been farming for generations – everything from coffee beans to corn and various fruits. Using Rendever, Juan Carlos took his mom on a virtual farm experience where she was surrounded by goats, pigs, horses, and more. She absolutely lit up, started to sing to all the animals, and tried to pet them. Juan Carlos shared, “It was incredible, she really thought we were there!”
In addition to farming and animals, Juan Carlos’ mother used to love biking and exploring new areas of the city. Juan Carlos shared that “due to her knee replacements and other health conditions she has not been able to go biking outside and she often states that she feels disconnected from her feet.” When Juan Carlos learned that Rendever had a biking experience where you can ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, he was eager to get his mom feeling as if she was cycling outside again.
As you can see (in the picture above), she was able to enjoy the beautiful ocean views, “taste” the salty air, and feel connected with her feet again. Juan Carlos shared, “My mom loved biking over the Golden Gate Bridge so much that she asked to replay the experience several times… She is fearless!”
With all the fun experiences that Juan Carlos and his mom had together, they were reluctant to return the system. He said, “Rendever is built with the caregiver in mind. It is easy to use and the experiences have prompts to help engage with each other. They also have a family portal that allowed me to upload pictures and videos for my mom to view in a 360° living room environment. Rendever is a fun, easy and creative resource to add to any caregivers routine”.
Reducing social isolation is at the heart of Rendever’s mission. If you know someone who would benefit from a Rendever Experience Grant feel free to apply below.
Rendever’s Expanding Impact program just launched to help non-traditional customers enjoy the power of shared experience. Anyone can apply to receive a Rendever Experience Grant, giving them access to a short-term loan of our platform for any type of circumstances. Each quarter, we’ll review submissions and select deserving families to grant a rental to, with everything they need. If you’d like to apply, additional information and a short application form are available at rendever.com/expanding-impact.