Virtual Reality Training for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: Towards Greater Safety, Compassionate Care, and Scalability

Physician using virtual reality headset

Award Date: 2019

Project Lead(s): Jordan Holmes

Project Title: Virtual Reality Training for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: Towards Greater Safety, Compassionate Care, and Scalability

This project aims to refine and scale a Virtual Reality (VR) platform and simulation curriculum to maximize opportunities for effective education for formal and informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD). This VR platform allows caregivers the ability to practice behavioural strategies with a live simulated patient that reacts in real time, based on the caregivers’ responses. Caregivers will also be able to build empathy as an observer by taking either the perspective of the PWD or the caregiver during the live interaction.