Persons with dementia often experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as aggression, agitation, anxiety, depression and apathy. These behaviours can cause high distress for the individual and their caregivers. Non-pharmacological strategies may be a valuable approach to supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers. The use of distraction techniques is commonly suggested to minimize responsive behaviours.

Persons with dementia often experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as aggression, agitation, anxiety, depression and apathy. These behaviours can cause high distress for the individual and their caregivers. Non-pharmacological strategies may be a valuable approach to supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers. The use of distraction techniques is commonly suggested to minimize responsive behaviours.

Results from the CMAI showed no significant changes in agitation behaviours after the VR intervention. Overall, caregivers did not find VR to be a useful tool at home to manage responsive behaviours presented by their loved ones. Caregivers believed there could be potential for VR use in the home if the following conditions are met:

• Headset/device design modifications
• Availability of personalized videos for users co-designed with caregivers
• Incorporating users’ personal history into videos

VR was a positive experience for one family, but there is not enough data to suggest that it impacted responsive behaviours in this study. Future research should explore the ways in which VR technology can be simplified and co-designed to align with the needs of caregivers and clients.