Into the wild : The what, how, and why of using virtual natural environments in residential care facilities
Författare
Summary, in English
In this thesis, we have reviewed the past use of VR in health and care settings and examined the applicability of virtual nature as a complement to real nature contact. In our VR lab, we have engaged older adults to help design a virtual natural environment through a cyclic process, exploring their preferences and ideas for virtual natural environments and how these can be implemented in a prototype. We have also examined the endocrine effects of an interactive virtual natural environment on older adults in the context of an induced social stress response. Finally, in the wild, across two studies at residential care facilities, we have tested different virtual natural environments and VR devices with residents to explore what meanings they make of virtual natural environments, and how their long-term use at residential care facilities can become a meaningful activity.
This thesis found that older adults in residential care facilities can find virtual natural environments meaningful as a source of stimulation, positive emotions, mood improvement, opportunities for reminiscing and reflection, distraction from challenges, empowerment, and relation building. Further, this thesis found several principles for virtual natural environments for older adults such as realness, interactivity, relatedness and individualised adaptation. We also found that virtual natural environments may support a person-centred approach in residential care facilities if experienced in the context of engaged participation with other actors (e.g., the one who provides VR and guides the user). This process involves VR as a catalyst for relation building through the sharing of memories and emotions, and the co-shaping of virtual environments in relation to the resident’s lived reality. Thus, virtual natural environments should not be considered a one-size-fits-all turn-key solution, but require engagement and individualised adaptation.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
2024
Språk
Engelska
Fulltext
Dokumenttyp
Doktorsavhandling
Förlag
Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Department of Design Sciences Lund University
Ämne
- Interaction Technologies
- Other Engineering and Technologies not elsewhere specified
Nyckelord
- virtuell verklighet
- naturmiljö
- särskilt boende
- virtual reality
- natural environment
- older adults
- residential care facility
- human-centred
Aktiv
Published
Handledare
- Mattias Wallergård
- Carita Håkansson
- Susanne Frennert
- Johanna Persson
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISBN: 978-91-8104-318-1
- ISBN: 978-91-8104-319-8
Försvarsdatum
24 januari 2025
Försvarstid
09:15
Försvarsplats
Lecture Hall Stora hörsalen, IKDC, Klas Anshelms väg 20, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University, Lund.
Opponent
- Maria Engberg (Assoc. Prof.)