A Web and Nonimmersive VR Approach for Reminiscence Therapy: A Caregiver Perspective Comparison

Reminiscence therapy (RT) is a multi-sensory treatment that uses a combination of sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound to help persons with dementia (PWD) remember events, people, and places from their past lives. Currently, RT relies on in-person sessions where albums, memorabilia, and media such as pictures and music are brought by the caregivers. However, such sessions have been negatively impacted by physical distancing and restricted access to institutionalized facilities with the goal of reducing exposure and potential outbreaks. Due to such restrictions, digital technologies such as mobile applications and immersive solutions including virtual and augmented reality, have started gaining momentum as supplementary tools for RT. This paper presents a caregiver perspective comparative study between a web RT application and its nonimmersive Virtual Reality counterpart to understand the limitations and opportunities both platforms present for facilitating engaging experiences for people with dementia towards recalling memories while easing the therapy process for the caregivers.