This document discusses using immersive technologies like augmented reality games to support dementia family caregivers. It outlines research objectives to raise dementia awareness and increase support communities for caregivers. Problems caregivers face like communication and stress are identified. Previous research results and prototypes are described. Expert interviews were conducted and mock-up games were tested with caregivers, who provided positive feedback. The research aims to further develop games to educate about dementia and engage caregivers.

1. Noreena Liu
Noreena.liu@soton.ac.uk
EXPLORING IMMERSIVE
TECHNOLOGY IN THE HEALTHCARE

2. OVERVIEW
RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
PROBLEMS AND
SOLUTIONS FOR
DEMENTIA FAMILY
CARERS
IMMERSIVE
TECHNOLOGIES
FOR HEALTH &
SENIORS
AUGMENTED
REALITY GAMES
FOR DEMENTIA
FAMILY CARERS
PERVIOUS
RESEARCH RESULT

3. RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
• Raising awareness of dementia
• Increasing the size of
supporting communities for
dementia carers

4. PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR
DEMENTIA FAMILY CARERS
• Communication / interaction
between family carers.
• Negative emotion.
• Knowledge of dementia and their
needs.
• Available services in the community.
Theme Questions Group Mean Rank
Sum of
Ranks
Carers
Available item for carer
Participants 16.00 176.00
Null 7.00 77.00
Total
Cover every aspect
Participants 8.50 93.50
Null 14.50 159.50
Total
Games can educate people
Participants 15.50 170.50
Null 7.50 82.50
Total
Games reduce stress and teach users
Participants 15.00 165.00
Null 8.00 88.00
Total
Social media increase person’s community
size
Participants 16.50 181.50
Null 6.50 71.50
Total
Intervention
Intervention change people’s behaviour
and thinking
Participants 16.50 181.50
Null 6.50 71.50
Total
Social marketing can change people’s
behaviours to increase engagement
Participants 15.50 170.50
Null 7.50 82.50
Total
Social media build up online community
Participants 15.50 170.50
Null 7.50 82.50
Total
Social media increase engagement to help
health issues
Participants 15.50 170.50
Null 7.50 82.50
Total
Game engagement with users
Participants 16.50 181.50
Null 6.50 71.50
Total
Engagement
Engagement is key thing for carer
Participants 17.00 187.00
Null 6.00 66.00
Total
Expert Interviews Number of Participants
University Researchers 4
Organizations 7
Total 11

5. IMMERSIVE
TECHNOLOGIES
FOR HEALTH
• The clinical simulation app - Yale
University
• Virtual reality to help autistic children -
Berkshire school
YaleNews (2020) Producing better nurses with augmented reality. https://news.yale.edu/2020/01/06/producing-better-nurses-augmented-
reality
BBC (2019) Berkshire school uses virtual reality to help autistic children. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-berkshire-
50839564/berkshire-school-uses-virtual-reality-to-help-autistic-children

6. VIRTUAL REALITY FOR
SENIORS
• Virtual Reality for Seniors – MIT
• Magic table - Tovertafel Rendever https://rendever.com
Tovertafel https://tovertafel.com

7. AUGMENTED REALITY GAMES FOR
DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS
Virtual
Reality (VR)
Augmented
Reality (AR)
Information & Education
* Knowledge of dementia
Advice & Recourse
* Available items to support
dementia and family carers
Dementia Family Immersive Technologies
Augmented reality games for
dementia caregivers

8. FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED
RESEARCH
• Conceptual Framework (Social, Health, Education)
• Metric Instrument (Goal Question Metric)
• Prototype 2D Game (Make a cup of tea)
Carers
InformsImproveProduces
Social Health EducationSupport Strengthens
Encourages
Engagement Promote
Games for Change
Social
Marketing
Game Social MediaCollaborationAwareness
Integrating
Knowledge Connection Interaction
Components
Platforms
Conceptual Framework

9. TESTING MOCK-UP GAMES WITH
DEMENTIA FAMILY CARERS
Gender Male Female
Number of
Participants
4 16
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Under 25
25-35
35-45
45-55
55-65
65-75
Over75
Age
Age
Ranks
Health_Education
Group N Mean Rank Sum of Ranks
Null 20 13.50 270.00
Participant 20 27.50 550.00
Total 40
Health_Social
Null 20 13.00 260.00
Participant 20 28.00 560.00
Total 40
Health_Engagement
Null 20 13.50 270.00
Participant 20 27.50 550.00
Total 40
Education_Social
Null 20 12.50 250.00
Participant 20 28.50 570.00
Total 40
Education_Engagement
Null 20 12.00 240.00
Participant 20 29.00 580.00
Total 40
Social_Engagement
Null 20 11.50 230.00
Participant 20 29.50 590.00
Total 40

10. INTERVIEW WITH DEMENTIA FAMILY
CARERS
ID
Number of
Participants
F1 2
F2 1
F3 1
F4 1
F5 1
F6 1
F7 1
F8 1
F9 1
F10 2
Total 12
• In general: The overall thoughts on the mock-up
game Make a cup of tea registered positive feedback
from the interview participants.
• Game for dementia patients and dementia carers:
Make a cup of tea is a game focused on the dementia
family carer dealing with pre- or early- stage dementia.
Based on the opinions of F3, F7 and F8, the mock-up
game can work for the dementia patients themselves
in order to assist understanding of themselves and as
a daily activity, especially as described by F7, who
found that the game can help the dementia patient
himself to move on.
• Game engagement for dementia family carers: The
game is an entertainment platform to capture people’s
attention. According to the interviews, F6 and F10
found Make a cup of tea to be an entertainment
platform to support dementia families in order to
understand the dementia issues.
• Further development: Make a cup of tea is a game in
the first stage to support dementia family carers and to
raise awareness of dementia and increase players’
knowledge of health issues. There were suggestions
from interviewees F1 and F2 for further achievement,
such as expanding the game with various items
according to personal interests, such as painting,
gardening and so on. In addition, F2 made the
suggestion of using the game as a tool to measure
and record dementia patients’ mental and physical
abilities, and also could be a platform with medical
information to give dementia patients and carers
choice in their medical journey.

11. PROJECT EXPANSIONS
• E-health for dementia
• Self-Management
• Diagnostic Assessment
• Tracking Device
• Games for mental health issues
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) : This type is very similar to
dementia; they will lose their memory,
but they can get treatment to get back to
their normal life.
• Schizophrenia: This type of mental
issue will depend on how well they can
cope with it. It is very important for the
family to listen and help them.
• Drugs (recreational drugs & alcohol):
recreational drugs and alcohol are
involved with mental problems.

12. • Publications
• Liu, Noreenaand Wills, Gary . Design principles in games for older adults. At Pretzels and Playtesting, Munich, Germany.
29 Nov 2019.
• Liu, Noreena, Wills, Gary and Ranchhod, Ashokkumar. Advergame for Dementia awareness and supporting carers. At
Games for Health Europe: 8th Annual Conference (09/10/18) Games for Health Europe: 8th Annual Conference,
Eindhoven, Netherlands. 08 - 09 Oct 2018. 13 pp.
• Liu, Noreena, Wills, Gary and Ranchhod, Ashokkumar. Support dementia carers in game. EAI Endorsed Transactions on
Game-Based Learning. 5. 155086. 10.4108/eai.13-7-2018.155086.
• Liu, Noreena, Wills, Gary and Ranchhod, Ashokkumar. Game for supporting dementia carers. At IEEE GEM 2018:
Games, Entertainment, & Media Conference (18/08/18) IEEE GEM 2018: Games, Entertainment, & Media Conference,
Galway, Ireland. 15 - 18 Aug 2018.
• Liu, Noreena, Wills, Gary and Ranchhod, Ashokkumar. Games for change applications in dementia care. At 27th
Alzheimer Europe Conference 27th Alzheimer Europe Conference: Care today, cure tomorrow, Berlin, Germany. 02 - 04
Oct 2017. 1 pp, p. 79.
• Liu, Noreena, Wills, Gary and Ranchhod, Ashokkumar. Designing games for dementia family, WHO, Submitted
• Liu, Noreena, Wills, Gary and Ranchhod, Ashokkumar. Metric for serious games for dementia family carers, Social
Sciences and Humanities, Submitted
• Press
• The News Lens (2019) Interactive technologies for the elderly. Available at: https://www.thenewslens.com/article/115107
• The News Lens (2020) Supporting long term care in the elder village using AR technologies. Available
at:https://www.thenewslens.com/article/130268