3D Interactive Immersive Experience in Hospital and Long-Term Care
About
This project uses 3D Interactive Immersive Experience technology to support people with dementia in hospital units and long-term care (LTC) home. By creating engaging, headset-free virtual environments, it enhances social connections and well-being of older adults with dementia. Co-developed with residents/patients, their family members, and staff, the program includes activities like virtual Tai Chi and cultural scenes. The goal is to promote ethical, person-centered care and inform broader adoption of immersive tools in aging services.
Purpose
With Canada’s aging population and the rising prevalence of dementia, improving care quality in hospitals and LTCs is increasingly urgent. This project tries to answer key questions: How do we reduce the burden on caregivers in daily routines? How can we provide continuous, high-quality companionship? How do we make sure older adults with dementia can actually enjoy using immersive technology without barriers and feel comfortable? And most importantly, can immersive tools like this truly help improve their social connections and well-being? With these goals in mind, this project offers a new, person-centered way of thinking about dementia care.
Project Goals and Outcomes
Goals
- Create headset-free immersive experiences for older adults with dementia
- Improve well-being and reduce loneliness in hospital and long-term care
- Co-design with residents, families, and staff to ensure relevance and impact.
Outcomes
- A user-friendly 3D immersive program
- Strategies to support adoption in healthcare settings
- Videos, training tools, and research publications to share findings
Principal Investigator: Lillian Hung
Current Team Members: : Jiangning Fu (Postdoctoral Fellow); Paulina Santaella (Sessional Instructor); Rachel Xia (Master Student in OT); Ben Mortenson (Professor in OT).