Interests of nursing homes residents with dementia for virtual reality-based leisure activities: A cross-sectional pilot study

A lack of resources in nursing homes can lead to standardized (leisure) activities for residents because of insufficient tailoring of individual interests. Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to provide enjoyable leisure activities for positive outcomes like well-being. This study explores past and possible future interests of nursing home residents with dementia for the development of VR-based (leisure) activities. Method This cross-sectional pilot study, a first step in a mixed-methods project, used a standardized questionnaire based on the Modified Interest Checklist – Diverse Learners. In total, seven residents with mild dementia from one rural Austrian nursing home participated in the study in February 2020.