Advancing Reminiscence Therapy Using Virtual Reality Applications for Persons with Dementia

Reminiscence therapy relies on pictures, images, and videos organized and presented by the caregiver. However, such traditional media may be lack of immersion and engagement to help with reducing anxiety and improving recollection of events. Virtual Reality (VR) has seen a surge in applications related to elderly care associated with social connectedness, physical and mental stimulation. This paper presents the development of a VR framework that presents immersive and non-immersive VR environments for reminiscence therapy employing facial and head tracking to ease navigation and visualization of content. We have developed two non-immersive and one immersive VR prototypes based on feedback collected during the stress test sessions with the end-users.