scholarly journals Virtual Reality for Veteran Relaxation (VR2) – Introducing VR-Therapy for Veterans With Dementia – Challenges and Rewards of the Therapists Behind the Scenes

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lora Appel ◽  
Eva Appel ◽  
Erika Kisonas ◽  
Zain Pasat ◽  
Khrystyna Mozeson ◽  
...  

Background: Many veterans with dementia placed in long term care exhibit responsive behaviours such as physical and verbal responsiveness (e.g., shouting, hitting, biting, grabbing). Responsive behaviours lead to negative clinical outcomes, staff burnout, contribute to absenteeism, low engagement, and an elevated risk of abuse or neglect. Virtual Reality (VR) has shown great promise in relieving stress and improving quality of life in frail older adults and has been increasingly explored as a non-pharmacological therapy for people with dementia. Ongoing studies are evaluating the clinical outcomes of VR-therapy for this population, but the challenges and learnings of the healthcare providers who administer VR-therapy remain under-reported.Objective: Capture the experiences of Recreational Therapists (RTs) who conducted study sessions and administered VR-therapy to residents with dementia as part of a clinical trial that took place at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre. We collected: RTs’ feedback on the process of conducting research, specifically with respect to technical, environmental and personal challenges, learnings, and recommendations.Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with all seven RTs who administered VR-therapy and collected data for a trial that took place from January-December 2019. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and imported into the NVivo analysis tool, where two independent researchers coded the interviews into themes.Results: RTs reported ease in learning to use the VR-technology, main challenges were unfamiliarity with, and insufficient time allocated to, conducting research. Scheduled VR-therapy sessions were physically and emotionally easier for the RTs to administer. Despite RTs hesitations to place the VR-equipment on frail individuals in distress, RTs reported positive impacts on managing responsive behaviours during these few targeted sessions, especially for participants for whom the trigger was related to physical pain rather than emotional distress. Staff have continued to offer scheduled VR-therapy sessions beyond the duration of the study.Conclusion: The experience of using VR in the veteran resident population is generally positive. Areas for improvements including better support to the RTs regarding to novel interventions and research method. Feedback received from RTs in this study provides critical information to support successful, sustainable implementation of VR-therapy, both for further evaluation and as a regular activity program. Failure to consider the experiences of these vital stakeholders when developing novel interventions contributes to the gap between efficacy in research and effectiveness in practice.

Geriatrics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Noreen Orr ◽  
Nicola L. Yeo ◽  
Sarah G. Dean ◽  
Mathew P. White ◽  
Ruth Garside

Aim: To report on the acceptability of virtual reality (VR) nature environments for people with memory loss at memory cafes, and explore the experiences and perceptions of carers and staff. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted between January and March 2019. Ten adults with memory loss, eight carers and six volunteer staff were recruited from two memory cafes, located in Cornwall, UK. There were 19 VR sessions which were audio recorded and all participants were interviewed at the end of the sessions. Framework analysis was used to identify patterns and themes in the data. Results: During the VR experience, participants were engaged to varying degrees, with engagement facilitated by the researcher, and in some cases, with the help of a carer. Participants responded positively to the nature scenes, finding them soothing and evoking memories. The VR experience was positive; many felt immersed in nature and saw it as an opportunity to ‘go somewhere’. However, it was not always positive and for a few, it could be ‘strange’. Participants reflected on their experience of the VR equipment, and volunteer staff and carers also shared their perceptions of VR for people with dementia in long-term care settings. Conclusions: The VR nature experience was an opportunity for people with memory loss to be immersed in nature and offered the potential to enhance their quality of life. Future work should build on lessons learned and continue to work with people with dementia in developing and implementing VR technology in long-term care settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 197-198
Author(s):  
Yu-Ping Chang ◽  
Yanjun Zhou ◽  
Hanbin Zhang

Abstract The use of virtual reality (VR) technology to improve health among older adults has been receiving increased attention. VR technology has many applications and can produce benefits for people with various medical conditions such as symptom reduction or improving the diagnostic process. Despite the increase in the number of research studies of VR technology, little is known about how it has been used to improve health-related outcomes among people with dementia. This systematic review aimed to synthesize research evidence regarding the scope and impact of VR based interventions among people with dementia. Five databases, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, PudMed, and Web of Science were searched to identify studies leveraging VR to facilitate interventions designed for people with dementia. Multiple keywords were used in combination including: dementia, Alzheimer’s, VR, virtual reality, and Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. Articles were screened if they were published between 2000 through 2020. Fifteen studies met the criteria, with ten utilizing a randomized controlled trial. The VR based interventions in those studies included virtual physical exercises, virtual forests or natural landscapes, and virtual basic living activities. The results of these studies show that VR as a display medium can greatly improve decision-making, hearing, vision, motor ability, and memory in people with dementia residing either in the community or in long term care settings. Our review demonstrated that VR showed positive benefits through various applications for people with dementia. Future research is needed to make VR interventions more customized toward effectively meeting the needs of people with dementia.


Author(s):  
Aram Cho ◽  
Chiyoung Cha

People adopt health promotion behaviors to promote their health as they interact within the environment. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing health promotion behaviors among older adults caring for family members with dementia. For this cross-sectional study, data from 135 older adults who were the main caregivers were collected at an outpatient clinic at a university hospital in the capital city of South Korea between September and October in 2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, caregiver-related characteristics, dementia knowledge, fear of dementia, and health promotion behaviors were measured. Univariate analysis revealed that the level of health promotion behaviors differed by age, sex, educational level, monthly income, relationship with the family member with dementia, and cohabitation with family members with dementia. In the multivariate analysis, a hierarchical multiple regression model explained 33.9% of the variance. Sex, duration of caregiving, use of long-term care service, and fear of dementia predicted health promotion behavior. A strategic tailored care plan for target population is needed to improve the health promotion behavior of older adults caring for family members with dementia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Hee Kim ◽  
Seonmin Park ◽  
Hyeongji Lim

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was (1) to develop a virtual reality (VR) intervention program based on the psychological needs of patients residing in nursing facilities in South Korea to alleviate their behavioral and psychological symptoms and (2) to confirm the possibility of utilizing VR in patients with dementia. Methods In the first phase, patients with dementia residing in nursing homes and experiencing behavioral and psychological symptoms were recruited. Surveys and questionnaires were used to identify activities that alleviated the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) among the patients. These activities were classified into five types of psychological needs. In the second phase, a fully immersive, interactive, easy-to-use VR platform was developed that reflected these psychological needs. Patients with dementia experienced the VR content. The researchers assessed the level of the participants’ immersion, preference, and interaction with the VR using a 5-point Likert scale. Results In the feasibility test, 10 nursing home residents were recruited. The mean immersion score was 4.93 ± 0.16 points, the mean preference score was 4.35 ± 0.41 points, and the mean interaction score was 3.84 ± 0.43 points using a 5-point Likert scale. Higher mean scores indicated a more positive outcome. Six of the 10 participants required assistance while using the VR. The mean VR experience duration was 10.00 ± 3.46 min. Conclusions The VR-based intervention program that was developed to reduce BPSD was feasible for the participants and provided them with a high degree of satisfaction and immersion. Furthermore, this study also confirmed the convenience and safety of the program. These findings support the potential use of VR-based BPSD intervention programs to treat patients with dementia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 103623
Author(s):  
Mohammad Keshavarzi ◽  
Luisa Caldas ◽  
Luis Santos

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110041
Author(s):  
Candidus C. Nwakasi ◽  
Kate de Medeiros ◽  
Foluke S. Bosun-Arije

Some Nigerians, in their effort to make sense of dementia symptoms, use descriptions that may stigmatize people with dementia and their families. This qualitative descriptive study focused on the everyday understanding of dementia and the impact of stigma on the caregiving experiences of informal female Nigerian dementia caregivers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 adult informal female caregivers in Nigeria and analyzed for themes. Afterward, results were presented to focus groups of 21 adult Nigerians residing in the United States for more contextual insight on the findings. The three major themes were misconceptions about dementia symptoms, caregiving protects against stigmatization, and stigma affects caregiving support. Overall, we argue that knowledge deficit, poor awareness, and traditional spiritual beliefs combine to drive dementia-related stigmatization in Nigeria. Strategies such as culturally appropriate dementia awareness campaigns and formal long-term care policies are urgently needed to help strengthen informal dementia caregiving in Nigeria.


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