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Thrive at Home: A Virtual Reality Social Intervention for Older Adults
Sponsor: University of California, Santa Barbara
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a virtual reality (VR) based social platform can improve mental health and social connection for older adults who receive in-home care. Specifically, the study aims to determine if the VR program reduces loneliness, depressive symptoms, and boredom while increasing social connection and well-being among older adult participants. It also explores whether access to the VR program reduces caregiver burden and depressive symptoms for family caregivers. Researchers will compare an immediate-start group to a waitlist control group to assess whether the VR program improves outcomes compared to standard home care alone. Both groups will eventually receive the intervention. Older adult participants will use a VR headset at home to join group activities three times a week. These sessions include social activities with local peers and live-hosted group activities. A family caregiver or home care professional may be present during sessions if needed for support. Over a 12-week study period, older adult participants will complete three surveys assessing their mood, social connection, and well-being. Family caregivers of participating older adults are also invited to join an optional caregiver substudy. Caregivers who enroll in the substudy will not participate in the VR activities themselves, but will complete three surveys at the same time points over the 12 weeks to share their own well-being and caregiving experiences.
Official title: Improving Mental Health and Social Connectivity for Older Adults Through Virtual Reality-Based Social Interventions
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
65 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
250
Start Date
2026-10
Completion Date
2028-05
Last Updated
2026-09-25
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Full Virtual Reality Social Intervention
Participants engage in a 6-week VR-based social intervention that includes three (30-min) virtual reality (VR) group activities per week using the Rendever platform. This includes two Rendever Thrive Program social sessions hosted by a community Activity Director and one live RendeverLive, expert-hosted group programming event (e.g., guided virtual tours, music, trivia). All sessions are completed entirely from the participant's home while safely seated.
Abbreviated Virtual Reality Social Intervention
Following the completion of the primary 6-week control period and primary outcome assessments, waitlist participants receive an abbreviated 4-week version of the VR-based social intervention. Participants engage in three (30-min) group activities per week using the Rendever platform, structured identically to the experimental group but limited to a 4-week duration for exploratory replication purposes. All data collected during this abbreviated 4-week crossover period are monitored for descriptive and hypothesis-generating purposes as detailed in the internal Statistical Analysis Plan, rather than tracked as distinct registry outcome rows.