Daffern, Helena orcid.org/0000-0001-5838-0120, Weatherly, Helen Louise Ann orcid.org/0000-0002-9117-6452, Saramago Goncalves, Pedro Rafael orcid.org/0000-0001-9063-8590 et al. (8 more authors) (2025) Virtual Choirs in Care Homes:The Development and Early Assessment of a New Virtual Reality Choir Intervention. Virtual Worlds. 8. ISSN 2813-2084
Abstract
Engaging with music has been shown to have a positive impact on the quality of life of residents in care homes, who are known to be affected by anxiety, depression and loneliness. Based on the known benefits of in-person singing activities, a new Virtual Reality (VR) choir application was developed to facilitate group singing, aiming to improve residents’ wellbeing and sense of community. Co-designed with Alzheimer Scotland, the intervention was tested in two care homes for functionality and to develop an approach towards assessing feasibility. Residents participated in scheduled sessions over a five-week period, in addition to staff engaging in independent ad hoc use of the experience with residents. Data on reactions to the intervention, the quality of life of participants and preferences about the outcome instruments were collected. The VR intervention proved technically successful, user-friendly, and allowed multiple users to sing together. Participants and staff showed strong enthusiasm for the intervention, with residents actively engaging in singing and movement, although some residents found the headsets uncomfortable. This suggests that VR choirs could be a valuable, scalable activity in care homes, especially when in-person facilitators are unavailable. Preliminary observations indicated that the intervention was not detrimental to participants’ health; however, the sample size was very small and a larger feasibility study is required to examine the intervention’s effectiveness, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This research highlights the challenges associated with measuring the feasibility of VR interventions in residential care settings, and the value of capturing qualitative data in an ecological setting that represents the intended use of the intervention.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 by the authors. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Electronic Engineering (York) The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Centre for Health Economics (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 14 Mar 2025 09:00 |
Last Modified: | 20 Mar 2025 00:13 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.3390/virtualworlds4010008 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3390/virtualworlds4010008 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:224438 |
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Description: Virtual Choirs in Care Homes: The Development and Early Assessment of a New Virtual Reality Choir Intervention
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