ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Dement.
Sec. Dementia Care
This article is part of the Research TopicDiversity, Intersectionality, and Inclusive Practices in Dementia Care and ResearchView all 8 articles
Expectations for a Co-Designed Virtual Immersive Program for Older Adults with Dementia in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study with Residents, Family, and Staff
Provisionally accepted
Mary Van1
Joey Wong1
Albin Soni1
Bonnie Huynh1Shambhavi Arora1
Jim Mann1Christine Wallsworth1Lily Wong1
W. Ben Mortenson1
Angelica Lim2
Lillian Hung1*- 1University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- 2Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Introduction: Virtual immersive programs (VIP) have been found as a recreational medium with positive impacts on the quality of life for older adults living with dementia in long-term care (LTC). While studies have explored the adoption of a VIP in LTC and suggested the need for tailored programs, there is a paucity of studies that have investigated the expectations of end-users of VIP in LTC. As part of a larger study to co-develop a VIP in LTC settings guided by the design thinking framework, this paper reports the purpose of our study, focused on the first two stages of that framework (i.e., empathy and define), which was to explore expectations prior to implementation of VIP from the perspectives of residents, family members, and staff in Canadian LTC home settings. Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups at one LTC home with 14 residents, six family members, and six staff members. We used reflexive thematic analysis to identify key expectations regarding content and delivery, positive outcomes, and concerns of a VIP in LTC. Results: We identified five themes 1) Personalized and engaging content, 2) A world without boundaries, 3) Shared experiences and care support, 4) Challenges of transitioning back to actual reality, and 5) Technology and usability barriers. Conclusion: Our findings offer useful insights and practical tips through the recommendations IMAGINE in co-designing technology that is appropriately tailored to residents, staff, and family members in LTC. This study provides foundational knowledge for the co-design of VIPs by highlighting end-user expectations prior to implementation, an often-overlooked stage in technology development.
Keywords: co-creation, Collaborative Research, design thinking, Long-Term Care, neurodegenerative disease, Patient and public involvement, Technology
Received: 30 Oct 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Van, Wong, Soni, Huynh, Arora, Mann, Wallsworth, Wong, Mortenson, Lim and Hung. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lillian Hung
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.