A Care Empowerment Program Using Virtual Reality for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Care Empowerment Program Using Virtual Reality for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia

This study aims to evaluate a care empowerment program using virtual reality on dementia knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy in managing BPSD, empathy and caregiver burden of family caregivers of people with dementia.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Dementia Family Caregiver
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: care empowerment program; Other: Routine family support

Detailed Description

The majority of patients with dementia live at home and cared by their families in Taiwan. Most of family caregivers have limited knowledge and care skills of dementia, therefore they experience great stress and caregiver burden which may have negative impact on their physical and mental health.

This two-group randomised controlled trial aims to evaluate a care empowerment program using virtual reality on dementia knowledge, attitude, care self-efficacy in managing BPSD, empathy and caregiver burden of family caregivers of people with dementia.

The intervention group will receive the Care Empowerment Program, which consists of dementia care e-books and virtual reality-based dementia activities, in addition to the routine dementia care manual and family support group.

The control group will only receive routine dementia care manual and family support group with no dementia virtual reality activity.

Both groups will be assessed for their dementia knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy in managing BPSD, empathy and caregiver burden at baseline, month 3, and 4.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 92
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Hualien City, Taiwan, 970
    • TCU dementia day center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 20 to 90 years,
• Taiwanese nationality,
• have provided care for relatives with dementia or cognitive impairment for at least three months,
• have a mobile phone or tablet and regular access to the internet,
• provide informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• family members who do not meet the inclusion criteria,
• can not provide informed consent.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group; care empowerment program	Other: care empowerment program; dementia care e-books and dementia virtual reality activity in addition to the routine dementia care manual and family support group
Active Comparator: Control group; routine family support	Other: Routine family support; routine dementia care manual and family support group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS)	score of knowledge about dementia	baseline
Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS)	score of knowledge about dementia	month 3
Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS)	score of knowledge about dementia	month 4
Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ)	score of attitude toward people with dementia	baseline
Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ)	score of attitude toward people with dementia	month 3
Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ)	score of attitude toward people with dementia	month 4
Revised Interpersonal Reactivity Index (R-IRI)	empathy toward people with dementia	baseline
Revised Interpersonal Reactivity Index (R-IRI)	empathy toward people with dementia	month 3
Revised Interpersonal Reactivity Index (R-IRI)	empathy toward people with dementia	month 4
Family Caregiver Competence Questionnaire (FACCQ)	score of FACCQ	baseline
Family Caregiver Competence Questionnaire (FACCQ)	score of FACCQ	month 3
Family Caregiver Competence Questionnaire (FACCQ)	score of FACCQ	month 4

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI)	score of caregiver burden for caring for people with dementia	baseline
Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI)	score of caregiver burden for caring for people with dementia	month 3
Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI)	score of caregiver burden for caring for people with dementia	month 4

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tzu Chi University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 18, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 24, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): July 26, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 19, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: dementia; virtual reality; empowerment; family caregiver
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Behavior; Social Behavior; Dementia; Empowerment
• Other Study ID Numbers: YLH-IRB-11104

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No