Virtual Reality (VR) may be a tool that can be used by care providers to improve the lives of people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. A study conducted in 2019 by the University of Kent finds that virtual therapy has many positive benefits for people with dementia, caregivers and their families.
Researchers have found that exposing people with dementia to VR environments helps them recall old memories, improve interactions with caregivers and reduce aggression. Studies have also found that it can help provide a richer and more satisfying quality of life than is otherwise available, with many positive outcomes.
Benefits For Those Living With Dementia
The study conducted by the University of Kent involved eight patients between the ages of 41 and 88, living with various forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The study participants used a VR headset to visit one of five virtual environments – the countryside, a rocky beach, a forest, a cathedral and a sandy beach. Throughout 16 sessions, patients were monitored and feedback was gathered from third parties such as caregivers. The participants had the choice to pick which environment they would visit each time. Some sessions involved participants exploring several different locales within a single session. Others returned to the same place repeatedly.
The findings of the experiment showed researchers that the new stimulation provided by the VR tours helped dementia patients tap into old memories. They also indicated that participants were recalling buried memories which gave them positive mental stimulation. This helped family members and caregivers learn more about the life the patients had lived. One caregiver in the study found that talking about the recalled memories helped improve social interactions between them and their patients.
Why More Research On Virtual Reality Therapy Is Needed
Due to the size of the study, Dr Jim Ang, PhD pointed out that larger studies are needed to validate the results found. He did comment that the early findings from virtual therapy studies are promising for people with dementia.
Access to software that helps create virtual reality videos is becoming more accessible and easier to use. This indicates that virtual environments could be customised for individual Alzheimer’s patients, with virtual visits to places that hold a special place in the patient’s heart. This can include recreating virtual environments such as their childhood home, the church they got married in or perhaps a country they once travelled through.
The technology could allow care providers to create a more tailored plan and include virtual therapy as a tool to improve their social support services. Virtual therapy can also allow carers to connect with the client and discuss previous memories and milestones in the client’s life.
Our companionship care services have allowed elderly residents who are living with dementia to reconnect with their community, pursue their passions, and revisit areas in Trafford. If you would like to speak to us about our companionship care services then please contact our care office for a consultation.