VR Enhances Empathy and Reduces Caregiver Burden
At A Glance
VR supports caregivers through improved empathy, communication, and reduced perceived burden, while emerging evidence also shows its ability to provide meaningful respite time and emotional relief during caregiving cycles in dementia care.
The research includes dyadic home VR use, veteran care studies, and caregiver respite-focused interventions.
Key Research Findings
High caregiver satisfaction and strong willingness to recommend VR in at-home care settings
In a preliminary at-home caregiver–dementia dyad study, 89% of caregivers reported they were very likely to recommend VR therapy to other caregivers, indicating strong acceptability and perceived value (Malik et al., 2025).
VR reduces perceived caregiver burden and improves wellbeing
Caregivers reported emotional relief and reduced burden when VR was incorporated into care routines (Malik et al., 2025).
VR supports staff emotional ease in high-stress care environments
Recreational therapists reported VR sessions as easier to deliver than managing behavioural escalation without intervention (Appel et al., 2022).
Shared VR experiences enhance caregiver empathy and understanding
Immersive experiences support deeper insight into emotional and cognitive states of people living with dementia (Alizai et al., 2025).
Why This Matters
Caregiving can be emotionally and operationally demanding, especially when managing complex behavioural and cognitive needs. caregiVR functions as a dual-impact intervention, supporting both care recipients and caregivers. It has potential to reduce burnout, improve workforce sustainability, and provide structured respite in home and institutional care environments.
Our Publications
Malik, K., Lewis-Fung, S., et al. (2025). VR&R: Preliminary results on at-home VR therapy for caregiver respite and symptom management in dementia. AHFE International Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1006986
Appel, L., Lewis, S., Kisonas, E., et al. (2022). Virtual reality for veteran relaxation: Introducing VR therapy for veterans with dementia. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2, 720523. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.720523
Appel, L., Kisonas, E., Appel, E., et al. (2021). VRx@Home pilot: Can virtual reality therapy improve quality of life for people with dementia living at home? IEEE SMC Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1109/SMC53992.2023.10394094