Feasibility Trial
Completed
STUDY OVERVIEW
SUMMARY
Access to nature is known to support health and wellbeing, but older adults in long-term care and rehabilitation settings often have limited access. In 2018, there was growing interest in using immersive VR, but little research had evaluated its use with frail older adults in care settings for this purpose. We conducted a feasibility study with 66 older adults with mobility, sensory, and/or cognitive impairments using 360° nature-based VR experiences.
KEY FINDINGS
VR was safe, feasible, and highly engaging. Participants were observed to be more engaged and reported feeling more relaxed and, in some cases, more adventurous during sessions. The experiences were well received and accessible for this population. We concluded that further research should evaluate VR in different settings (e.g., home and community) and focus on improving customization and optimization of content and equipment.
PUBLICATIONS
Appel L, Appel E, Bogler O, Wiseman M, Cohen L, Ein N, Abrams HB and Campos JL (2020) Older Adults With Cognitive and/or Physical Impairments Can Benefit From Immersive Virtual Reality Experiences: A Feasibility Study. Front. Med. 6:329. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2019.00329
PARTNERS
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