Tech-based Respite Care for Caregivers and Homebound Older Adults
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Caregiver Stress, Social Isolation in Older Adults, Cognitive Decline in Older Adults, Depression in Older Adults, Anxiety in Older Adults
In brief
The goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of VR-based respite in improving cognitive function, mental health, and quality of life in caregivers and homebound older adults compared to a control group using videos and a usual care group. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: VR intervention, video control, or usual care. The VR group receives immersive VR sessions using the SilVR Adventures platform. The video group receives non-immersive video sessions with similar content. The usual care group receives no additional intervention. Assessments are conducted at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 3 months post-intervention to measure changes in depression, anxiety, loneliness, quality of life, and other outcomes. The intervention dosage will be 4 weeks (1 sessions/week; 30 min/session). Secondarily, the study explores differences in effectiveness between caregivers and homebound older adults, and potential moderators or mediators such as baseline health status, technological literacy, and social support.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07160673
- Run by
- Hong Kong University
- People needed
- 180
- Starts
- 2025-09-01
- Expected to finish
- 2027-08-28
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-07-22
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Aged 18 or above
- Provide care to at least one homebound older adult (aged 60 or above)
- Provide no less than 6 hours of caregiving per week
- Able to communicate in either Cantonese, Mandarin or English
- Willing to participate for the entire duration
- Able to tolerate VR headset for at least 5 minutes (no severe motion sickness/epilepsy)
You may not qualify if…
- History of severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar)
- Severe cognitive impairment (MMSE <10)
- Major neurological diseases (e.g., recent stroke, severe Parkinson's)
- Uncorrectable visual/hearing impairments affecting VR/video
- Unable to tolerate VR due to motion sickness or discomfort
- Care recipient receiving long-term care service that conflicts with study
- Care Recipients (CRs)
- Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged 60 or above
- Homebound (unable to leave home without assistance)
- Stable medical condition
- Willing to participate for the entire duration
- Able to tolerate VR headset for at least 5 minutes (no VR contraindications)
- Able to understand and provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Same as CGs, plus MMSE <10
Where it is running
- Sau Po Centre on Ageing, HKU — Hong Kong, 香港島, Hong Kong (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.