Dementia presents a growing public health challenge with most affected individuals living at home, placing significant responsibility on their caregivers. Various interventions, from traditional support groups and education programs to emerging technologies, and more specifically virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), aim to enhance caregiver skills. While VR/AR shows promise in educating and fostering empathy among caregivers and healthcare professionals, its overall effectiveness and practicality in older adults and dementia care warrant further exploration. This review aimed to summarize currently available VR and AR interventions tailored for family caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) in home or clinical settings, including their level of effectiveness, and to compile a summary of features that contributed to technology acceptance in family caregivers of PLWD. We conducted a systematic search in OVID PsychInfo, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and ERIC, as well as CADTH’s Grey Matters, OpenGrey, National Technical Information Service, OAIster, and Health Quality Ontario, to comprehensively summarize the existing evidence underscoring the role of VR and AR in supporting education, resilience-building, and skills training for family caregivers of PLWD. The search terms were built with the assistance of a research librarian and involved synonyms for VR, AR, and dementia. Two screeners conducted a rigorous screening and data extraction to analyze and summarize findings. Studies were included if they focused on family caregivers engaging in interventions utilizing a three-dimensional VR environment and/or Metaverse for group learning in psychotherapeutic modalities such as psychoeducation, therapy, communication, and skill-building. The primary outcome of the studies was assessing measures of well-being (e.g., quality of life, communication, interaction, personhood) and learning outcomes for caregivers, while the secondary outcomes focused on identifying barriers and facilitators influencing the acceptability of VR/AR among dementia caregivers. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to summarize key trends in technology and evidence effectiveness and acceptability. Of the 1,641 articles found, 112 were included, with six articles meeting inclusion for analysis. Studies differed in duration and frequency of data collection, with interventions varying from single events to months-long programs, often employing home-based approaches using VR or online platforms. No study used AR. Usability issues and unclear benefits of use were identified as factors that hinder technology acceptance for dementia caregivers. However, technologies demonstrated engaging user experiences, fostering skill-building, confidence, and competence among caregivers. Positive psychological effects were also observed, facilitated by immersive VR and AR interventions, resulting in improved caregiver empathy and reduced stress, depression, and loneliness. VR and AR interventions for family caregivers of PLWD show the potential to enhance empathy and skills and reduce stress. Challenges such as technological limitations and user inexperience issues persist. Home-based VR training aligns with caregiver comfort but lacks focus on financial aspects and cultural competencies. Co-design approaches offer solutions by addressing user concerns and promoting end-user engagement or empowerment.

Family caregivers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journeys of their loved ones, yet the recovery journeys of family caregivers have not been well-explored. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, we explore the personal recovery journeys of family caregivers for individuals with mental illness. This case study involved piloting and exploring the impact of a novel online workshop series offered to mental health caregivers at Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences. Recovery courses and workshops conventionally engage patients living with mental health conditions. In the current case, the recovery model is adapted to the needs and experiences of their family caregivers, resulting in a pilot workshop series called “We Care Well”. Through participant-led discussions, interactive and take-home activities, and experiential learning, caregivers co-created workshop content and engaged in peer-learning on seven personal recovery-oriented topics. This included: self-care, resilience-building, non-violent communication, storytelling, and mental health advocacy. Throughout the sessions, participants implemented their learnings into their caregiving roles, and shared their experiences with the group to progress through their own recovery journeys. The We Care Well series was found to be an effective intervention to adapt and apply the personal recovery framework to mental health caregivers. PAR, and co-design are viable approaches to engage caregivers in mental health research, and can facilitate knowledge exchange, as well as relationship building with peers and program facilitators.

The rapidly aging population and the increasing number of chronic and degenerative diseases associated with aging have led to a rise in demand for aptly trained health-care professionals to address the changing needs of the aging population. However, there is a drastic shortage of health-care professionals in geriatric care as the challenge to attract younger generations into geriatrics and gerontology continues. To this end, experiential learning – an engaged learning process where students learn by doing and reflecting upon those experiences – may lead to better applied knowledge, skills, competence, and interest regarding care for older adults. This study examines experiential learning in the form of a “Living Lab” – a field-based practicum education model – and how it promotes student learning in terms of interaction with, and knowledge and attitudes about, geriatric inpatients living with mental health conditions in a specialty psychiatric hospital in Canada. Using qualitative narrative inquiry, we explored students’ (n = 14) experiences of participating in a Living Lab. Three interconnected themes were identified and collectively suggested that participation in the Living Lab improved student self-efficacy, knowledge, and skills to work with the geriatric population. It also helped reshape student attitudes toward this population.

Background: Dementia is a global public health concern, with prevalence projected to reach 78 million individuals by 2030 and 139 million by 2050. Most persons living with dementia reside in community settings and are supported by family caregivers. As caregiving demands grow, caregivers experience significant psychosocial, emotional, and financial burden, including high rates of stress, social isolation, and depressive symptoms. Access to effective support services remains limited, highlighting the urgent need for innovative and accessible caregiver interventions. Objective: This pilot study first aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of VR-SIM Carers, a virtual reality (VR)–based psychoeducational training program for family caregivers or care partners of people living with dementia. Second, it will aim to provide a preliminary evaluation of potential impact on caregiver outcomes, including caregiver competence, stress, resilience, empathy, and quality of life. The study is not designed to support causal inference regarding the effectiveness of VR-SIM Carers. Methods: A mixed methods design will be used with a sample of 30 family caregivers of people living with dementia. Participants will complete 3 immersive, self-paced VR caregiving scenarios—Managing Apathy, Crisis Response, and Refusal of Care—receiving real-time feedback from simulated characters, including clinician and person living with dementia avatars. Primary outcomes (feasibility and educational impact) include recruitment, retention, adherence, usability, acceptability, and tolerability and caregiver competence (Pearlin Caregiving Competence Scale), perceived stress (Cohen Perceived Stress Scale), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), and empathy (Empathy Assessment Scale). Secondary outcomes (preliminary efficacy) include caregiver quality of life (Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire), caregiver burden (Burden Questionnaire), and behavioral symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short Form) assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up. Feasibility and user engagement will be evaluated via the 18-item Gaming Use Engagement and Severity Scale, Igroup Presence Questionnaire, qualitative interviews, reflection notes, and open-ended feedback. Quantitative data will be analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and paired 2-tailed t tests, while qualitative data will be analyzed using an inductive thematic coding framework. Data analyses are descriptive and exploratory only, and no causal claims regarding intervention effectiveness will be made. Consistent with CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidance for pilot and feasibility studies, caregiver outcomes (eg, competence, stress, resilience, empathy) are treated as exploratory. Results: The findings from this study will inform the feasibility, acceptability, and educational value of immersive VR for caregiver training, while providing preliminary evidence regarding the efficacy of VR-SIM Carers as a training tool to improve psychoeducation outcomes for family caregivers of people living with dementia and reduce caregiving burden. Data collection commenced in March 2024 with a projected end date of March 2026. As of the submission of the manuscript (December 2025), 21 participants have been enrolled. Data analysis will be completed in April 2026, and the results are expected to be published in fall 2026. Conclusions: VR-SIM Carers represents an innovative, scalable intervention designed to enhance caregiver preparedness, psychosocial outcomes, and sustainable community–based dementia care. This pilot study will provide critical evidence to guide further development and implementation of VR-based caregiver support programs.