Evaluation of a Program to Improve the Life Quality of Elderly (VR_LIFE)

Fundacio d'Investigacio en Atencio Primaria Jordi Gol i Gurina

Status: Completed

Conditions: Elderly

Treatments: Behavioral: The use of Virtual Reality Glasses in Elderly

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06668740

23/155-P

Details and patient eligibility

About

Older people belong to an age group that has been increasing in recent decades, leading to a progressive ageing of the population. With the aim of reducing the generational digital divide, the use of technology in retirement homes was proposed. To this end, virtual reality glasses were used to allow the visualization of an external virtual world and, subsequently, it was evaluated whether their application improved the quality of life of the elderly by reducing the difficulties they have in participating in recreational activities outside these centers. A prospective quasi-experimental longitudinal study was carried out in the centers belonging to the basic health area of Valls, with a study period from May 2023 to March 2024. Quality of life was measured using the ad hoc "Escala de Calidad de Vida Rivas-Bordas".

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 65 or older.
• Resident of a geriatric home in the Valls area.
• Individuals with slight, moderate, fair, or total impairment of social resources, as assessed by the Duke University Center (1978) Social Resources Scale (OARS).

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals with a history of frequent migraines or motion sickness.
• Individuals with moderate or severe cognitive impairment (≥ 5 errors on the Abbreviated Pfeiffer test).
• Inability to communicate in Spanish and/or Catalan.
• Individuals with advanced visual and/or hearing impairments.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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22 participants in 1 patient group

Intervention

Other group

Description:

A pretest was conducted with a group of elderly residents from three different nursing homes. Following this, participants watched 360-degree VR videos featuring nature walks, trips, and similar experiences for 10 minutes, once a week, over a period of four weeks. After completing the VR sessions, a posttest was administered. The results will be used to assess the participants' Quality of Life and their Satisfaction with the intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: The use of Virtual Reality Glasses in Elderly