INSIGHTS ON LEVERAGING VIRTUAL REALITY AS A MEDIUM FOR INTERVENTION DELIVERY FOR OLDER ADULTS - Innovation in Aging 2025 - No. S2 - Abstract

Sep 29, 2026

Virtual reality is positioned as an immersive technology capable of improving access and adaptability for older adults’ social, cognitive, and activity participation. The study addresses limited knowledge on how off-the-shelf VR solutions can be designed and adapted to support older adults’ adoption and use, and how VR can strengthen delivery of interventions, services, and programs. A mixed-methods home simulation recruited 21 community-dwelling adults aged 61–80 for passive demonstrations and collected experiences via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose and rationale

Study design and participants

Findings and perceived value

Design and implementation considerations

Opportunities and challenges

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1131 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3796 INSIGHTS ON LEVERAGING VIRTUAL REALITY AS A MEDIUM FOR INTERVENTION DELIVERY FOR OLDER ADULTS George Mois1, Emre Eraslan2, Tongxin Sun3, Qiyuan Cheng2, Avinash Gupta2, and Wendy Rogers2, 1. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States, 2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States, 3. Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing, China (People’s Republic) Virtual reality (VR) is a growing immersive technology with potential to enhance access and adaptability to sustain participation in social, cognitive, and activity engagements that cannot easily be facilitated through other information communication technologies. Leveraging VR presents a unique opportunity to support resource development and improve access to services and activities that are tailored to meet older adults’ needs and preferences. However, there is limited understanding pertaining to the design and adaptation of off-the-shelf VR solutions to support adoption and use by older adults, and how VR can be used to enhance access to interventions, services, and programs. We conducted a mixed methods study in a home simulation environment to explore the application of VR as a vehicle for intervention delivery. We recruited 21 community dwelling older adults aged 61-80 (M = 69, SD = 5.45) to participate in passive VR demonstrations and gathered insights into their experience 1132 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 through questionnaires and a semi structured interview. Participants perceived VR as an immersive medium with the potential of adapting to their own interests and preferred activities. Our findings provide insights into design and implementation considerations in utilizing VR as a medium for intervention delivery for older adults. Based on these findings, we outline opportunities (visual and audio capabilities, tailored experiences) and challenges (disorientation, physical discomfort, usability limitations) in leveraging immersive technologies to support various types of VR engagement activities (e.g., activity, social, cognitive) . These considerations can improve effectiveness of VR-based interventions and provide steps to meet the needs and preferences of older adult VR users.

FAQs

Why is virtual reality considered promising for older adults’ engagement?

Virtual reality is described as an immersive technology that can enhance access and adaptability, supporting older adults’ social, cognitive, and activity participation.

How was the VR intervention delivery approach studied?

The research used a mixed-methods design in a home simulation environment, recruiting 21 community-dwelling older adults for passive VR demonstrations.

What opportunities and challenges were identified for using VR with older adults?

Opportunities included visual and audio capabilities and tailored experiences, while challenges included disorientation, physical discomfort, and usability limitations.

Sep 29, 2026

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