Virtual Reality Respite & Relaxation (VR&R)
Active
STUDY OVERVIEW
SUMMARY
Caregivers of people living with dementia experience high burden, and there are limited supports focused specifically on respite at home. This study was co-designed with community partners and people with lived caregiving experience to test VR as a practical in-home respite tool. We are recruiting 50 caregiver–PLwD pairs for a 6-week crossover trial. The person living with dementia views immersive 360° VR experiences (nature, travel, adventure, music) 2–3 times per week. The study compares two delivery models: Social VR (facilitated by a research assistant) and Solo VR (caregiver-facilitated, enabling respite any time the dyad chooses).
ClinicalTrials ID: NCT05867641
Read the Protocol.
KEY FINDINGS
Early results from the first 25 dyads suggests that both conditions were perceived as beneficial and that respite. Social VR was generally perceived as providing higher-quality respite, as it more reliably enabled caregivers to fully disengage from caregiving. Solo VR still provided meaningful respite time, often used for rest, chores, or personal activities, but required more caregiver involvement. Both were influenced by competing demands, baseline care intensity, and practical factors like the home space and VR technology reliability.
This study is actively recruiting until January 2027. We are looking for participant dyads from the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding regions. Dyads include a caregiver (family/friend or professional) and the person with dementia who they care for.
Please contact us at vrnrstudy@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more.
PUBLICATIONS
Alizai, H., Wong, M., Tchao, D., & Appel, L. (2025). Navigating immersion: Usability study of VR for dementia caregivers. Journal of Medical Extended Reality, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1089/jmedxr.2024.0034
Darmová, B., & Inthiran, A., & Appel, L. (2025). Usability evaluation of “Paint!” VR game for frail older adults. XR Salento (LNCS). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97772-5
DiGiammarino, O., da Silveira Gorman, R., Peisachovich, E., & Appel, L. (2025). Virtual reality in dance pedagogy and performance. Journal of Dance Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15290824.2025.2500031
Malik, K., Lewis-Fung, S., Liang, J., et al. (2025). VR&R caregiver respite study. AHFE International Conference. https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1006986
PARTNERS
FUNDERS
