The usability of virtual reality to train individuals in responding to behaviors related to dementia.

Introduction: Dementia is associated with several behavioral changes globally referred to as Methods: Twenty-three health care professionals working with PLWD, 25 care partners to PLWD, 27 students in a health-related field, and 11 university/community college faculty members teaching courses relevant to gerontology tested the application which depicted a meal-time scenario. In addition to being asked about the behavioral triggers in the scene, participants were asked about the usefulness and usability of the tool for training. Presence and simulator sickness were also measured. Results: Results suggest that participants generally felt present and emotionally engaged. They could identify the potential triggers for the observed behaviors in the virtual human with dementia as well as suggest some solutions. The majority (87% of participants) found the tool easy to use. Many participants identified the inability to interact with the virtual humans as a shortfall, and few reported mild to moderate levels of simulator sickness. Discussion: As the behavioral changes associated with dementia can cause extreme stress for those interacting with PLWD, developing an effective and efficient training tool could significantly improve well-being for all involved. The investigators see the development and testing of an interactive version of this virtual environment as a next step in making this a clinically relevant training tool.