Aim: This scoping review aims to identify the facilitators and barriers to the implementation of VR technology in the aged-care setting. Background: Virtual reality (VR) offers the potential to reduce social isolation and loneliness through increased social engagement in aged-care settings. Methods and Analysis: This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology and took place between March and August 2022. The review included a three-step search strategy: (1) identifying keywords from CINHAL, Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science (2) conducting a second search using all identified keywords and index terms across selected databases; and (3) searching the reference lists of all included articles and reports for additional studies. Results: The final review included 22 articles. The analysis identified factors affecting the VR technology implementation in aged care settings to reduce isolation and loneliness: (a) key facilitators are local champions and staff training. (b) barriers include technological adaptability, video quality, and organizational culture. Conclusion: Existing evidence points to VR as a promising intervention to decrease loneliness and feelings of isolation and improve social engagement in older people living in aged-care settings.

Background: Long-term care (LTC) homes face the challenges of increasing care needs of residents and a shortage of health care providers. Literature suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled robots may solve such challenges and support person-centered care. There is a dearth of literature exploring the perspectives of health care providers, which are crucial to implementing AI-enabled robots. Objective: This scoping review aims to explore this scant body of literature to answer two questions: (1) what barriers do health care providers perceive in adopting AI-enabled robots in LTC homes? (2) What strategies can be taken to overcome these barriers to the adoption of AI-enabled robots in LTC homes? Methods: We are a team consisting of 3 researchers, 2 health care providers, 2 research trainees, and 1 older adult partner with diverse disciplines in nursing, social work, engineering, and medicine. Referring to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, our team searched databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar) for peer-reviewed and gray literature, screened the literature, and extracted the data. We analyzed the data as a team. We compared our findings with the Person-Centered Practice Framework and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to further our understanding of the findings. Results: This review includes 33 articles that met the inclusion criteria. We identified three barriers to AI-enabled robot adoption: (1) perceived technical complexity and limitation; (2) negative impact, doubted usefulness, and ethical concerns; and (3) resource limitations. Strategies to mitigate these barriers were also explored: (1) accommodate the various needs of residents and health care providers, (2) increase the understanding of the benefits of using robots, (3) review and overcome the safety issues, and (4) boost interest in the use of robots and provide training. Conclusions: Previous literature suggested using AI-enabled robots to resolve the challenges of increasing care needs and staff shortages in LTC. Yet, our findings show that health care providers might not use robots because of different considerations. The implication is that the voices of health care providers need to be included in using robots. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075278

Background: Nurses and healthcare providers need practical tools to deliver person-centred care in hospitals and long-term care homes. Few non-pharmacological interventions are designed to meet the needs of people with moderate to severe dementia. Dementia-friendly television videos (TV videos) offer a familiar stimulation with the potential for meaningful engagement in the relational space of technology. TV videos refer to moving visuals with audio that can be shown on TV and other devices. They can be used for different purposes for people with dementia, such as stimulating memories and facilitating expressions. Purpose: This study aims to understand the perspectives of nurses and healthcare providers on the potential function and practice considerations of using TV videos for people with moderate to severe dementia. Methods: We conducted five focus groups with 23 nurses and healthcare providers in a long-term care home and a geriatric hospital unit. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and guided by Kitwood's person-centred care model. Results: Our analysis identified five themes about the use of TV videos: (1) calm the person with dementia who is in emotional distress, (2) form connections with the person with dementia, (3) bring people with dementia together, (4) facilitate the Person's Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), (5) help the person connect with their past. Conclusion: TV videos should be designed to match the person's cognitive abilities, interests, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Our findings supplemented Kitwood's model by identifying the person's cultural and language needs.

Research documents the presence of stigma and discrimination as key components in the lived experience of dementia. However, to date, there is limited understanding regarding how social location, particularly as it relates to culture and race, may shape this experience of stigma and discrimination. In this qualitative exploratory study, personal interviews were held with ten Chinese Canadians living with dementia focused on better understanding how culture, race, and dementia stigma influence their experiences. From the onset, themes related to stigma and discrimination were woven into the participants’ stories about living with dementia. Consistent with other research, all participants described an increased sense of vulnerability and invisibility related to how both they and others responded to their diagnosis of dementia. Participants also provided examples of how this experience of stigma was compounded by culture, race, and immigration status. Importantly, these acts of stigma and discrimination were both externally and internally imposed, resulting in feelings of lack of safety and insecurity. This research draws attention to the increased vulnerability that accompanies a diagnosis of dementia and illustrates how this may be heightened by one’s culture and racism.

Background: AI-enabled social robots present the potential to resolve the loneliness and social isolation of older adults in long-term care (LTC). There is limited research on how older adults perceive and make sense of these robots and how human-robot companionship is formed. This study investigated older adults’ experiences using LOVOT, a social robot. Methods: Using an ethnographic study design, we introduced LOVOT robots to a Canadian LTC home for four weekly interaction sessions. Thirty-six residents, seven family members and two healthcare staff participated. Data collection involved observational field notes and conversational interviews. The analysis was guided by ikigai, a Japanese well-being concept. Findings: Reflexive thematic analysis identified four key themes. 1) Joy: The robot offers joy and excitement through interactions. 2) Acceptance: For older adults with mobility or cognitive impairments, LOVOT gives consistent positive responses, offering a sense of unconditional acceptance. 3) Creativity: The robot’s non-verbal communication allows older adults to grow creative imagination, encouraging personal expression and expanding interaction possibilities. 4) “Not for me”: Not all participants like the LOVOT robot. Conclusion: AI-enabled social robots show potential in supporting the psychosocial needs of older adults, which have broader implications for LTC practices and future research directions. Future research should further explore the creative utility of social robots among LTC residents.

Community organizations are a unique part of the local social infrastructure that provides opportunities for social connections and community building. This contribution has been established in research on social capital and the research on social networks. Little research has looked specifically at the processes that lead to forming new relationships within community organizations. In this paper, we address this gap by looking specifically at the situational dynamics at community organizations that contribute to making new friends. We approach this question by conducting a scoping review, a systematic approach to research search and selection when conducting reviews. Our review identified 37 relevant pieces of research. The majority of the research we identify comes from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA. We discuss three themes addressing situational dynamics that emerged in the analysis: (1) the importance of structured programs and activities as prompts for connection, (2) creating spaces for informal interactions, and (3) emerging mutuality based on similarities and differences. We conclude with suggestions for how community organizations purposefully create these situational dynamics in their work.