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 demonstrates its role in providing meaningful respite and emotional relief during caregiving cycles in dementia and long-term care contexts.

The research includes at-home caregiver–care recipient dyad studies, veteran care implementations, and caregiver-focused VR respite interventions (Malik et al., 2025, caregiver–dyad study; Appel et al., 2022, veteran VR study; Appel et al., 2021, home-based pilot study).

Key Research Findings

High caregiver satisfaction and strong willingness to recommend VR in home care settings

In at-home caregiver–dementia dyad studies, 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, caregiver–dyad VR study).

VR reduces perceived caregiver burden and improves emotional wellbeing

Caregivers reported emotional relief, reduced stress, and decreased perceived burden when VR was integrated into home care routines and shared sessions (Malik et al., 2025, caregiver–dyad VR study).

VR supports staff emotional ease in high-stress care environments

Care staff and recreational therapists reported VR sessions as easier to deliver than managing behavioural escalation without intervention, highlighting perceived reductions in caregiver strain during care delivery (Appel et al., 2022, long-term care veteran study).

Shared VR experiences enhance caregiver empathy and understanding

Immersive shared experiences support increased emotional insight into the lived experience of dementia, strengthening caregiver empathy and relational understanding (Alizai et al., 2025, caregiver usability study).

VR may provide structured respite during caregiving cycles

Emerging home-based and pilot studies suggest VR can create brief respite periods for caregivers, allowing temporary emotional relief while maintaining engagement for care recipients (Appel et al., 2021, home-based VR pilot study; Malik et al., 2025, caregiver–dyad VR study).

Why This Matters

Caregiving for individuals living with dementia is often emotionally demanding, particularly when managing behavioural symptoms, cognitive decline, and communication challenges. These pressures can contribute to caregiver burden, burnout, and reduced well-being.

VR offers a dual-impact approach that supports both care recipients and caregivers simultaneously. By enabling shared immersive experiences and structured engagement opportunities, VR can create moments of emotional relief, improved communication, and relational connection.

This positions caregiVR as a practical tool for supporting caregiver well-being, enhancing empathy, and contributing to more sustainable caregiving environments in both home and institutional settings.

Our Publications

Caregiver–Dyad VR Study (2025)

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.

Veteran VR Relaxation Study (2022)

Appel, L., Appel, E., Kisonas, E., Pasat, Z., Mozeson, K., Vemulakonda, J., & Sheng, L. Q. (2021). Virtual reality for veteran relaxation (VR2): Introducing VR-therapy for veterans with dementia—Challenges and rewards of the therapists behind the scenes. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2, Article 720523.

Home-Based VR Pilot Study (2021)

Appel, L., Appel, E., Kisonas, E., et al. (2021). VRx@Home pilot: Virtual reality therapy for people with dementia living at home. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

Caregiver Usability Study (2025)

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).