It’s a snowy, single-digit day outside “The Estates,” a nursing facility in Fridley. But inside, residents are in the tropics… swimming with dolphins. All of this is courtesy of their virtual reality (VR) goggles.

“I see a blue sky and a dolphin. I feel like I can reach out and touch one,” said 74-year-old Cheryl Ann Swanson.

It’s part of a virtual reality therapy program they are using for residents. The software is customized for senior citizens, and the VR goggles can transport them anywhere in the world as well as connect them to live events at other care facilities around the country.

VR can be one way for seniors to combat isolation and loneliness.

“We are looking for how we can care for the whole person’s needs, not just their medical needs, but the whole person’s needs,” said Eric Lind, with Monarch Healthcare Management, which oversees the facility.

“We can see significant improvements in health in terms of isolation, and we a see a significant decline in health when people are isolated in their rooms,” he said.

Monarch Healthcare Management uses VR programs for seniors at 20 different facilities across Minnesota.