Enhancing Dementia Care Skills in Healthcare Students Through Gamified VR: A Pilot Study

This pilot study explores the development and application of a Gamified Virtual Reality Behavioral Training (G-XRBT) app to enhance the competencies of healthcare and allied professional students (HAPS) in managing complex dementia-related challenging behaviors. By simulating real-life scenarios involving agitation, refusal phenomena, and wandering among individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (Pw-ADRD), the app fosters a deeper understanding of non-pharmacological interventions. Focus group sessions with HAPS informed the design of the G-XRBT app's first prototype, which tailors scenarios to learners' challenges. Findings suggest the app's potential to significantly improve dementia care training.