Loneliness and isolation are among significant concerns for residents in long-term care facilities and virtual reality (VR) technologies may be an effective approach for combatting these and other mental health concerns. The implementation of VR into senior living communities is increasing but using VR as a mental health intervention remains questionable. However, some studies show promise and this is encouraging given the expected growth projection of VR as a psychological intervention. Based on a study conducted in a rural long-term care facility in the United States, the majority of participating residents were optimistic about the use of VR after they were offered the opportunity to use the technology. Although there were no observable changes in participants' mood during the pre-post/test study, the importance of allowing long-term care residents adequate time to become comfortable with the VR equipment through an informal educational session before using VR as an intervention was highlighted.

Authors:
Sandra Collins, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, United States
Xiaoli Li, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, United States
Arianna Goss, St. Louis University, United States
Kevin Scott Collins, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Sandra Collins, Professor and Program Director of Health Care Management, Health Administration and Health Informatics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her current projects include use of virtual reality in long term care.

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