Elderly care and companionship are critical global issues. Effective home visit skills play a vital role in delivering quality long-term care services. However, traditional training methods often rely on instructors’ case explanations and personal experience sharing in communication and observation, which are limited by manpower, cost, and time. Consequently, learners have few opportunities for realistic interview practice and skill rehearsal.

This study develops a game-based learning solution that integrates Spherical Video-Based Virtual Reality (SVVR) technology to construct immersive environments simulating the daily living contexts of older adults. With our generative AI module, learners can interact with a virtual elder created by the system. Participants play the role of long-term care professionals, engaging in home visit training that combines environmental observation and interactive communication.

The study recruited 20 professional long-term care service providers in Taiwan. Results indicated that 75% of participants successfully passed the home visit assessment embedded within the game. Quantitative analysis revealed that the mean score for flow experience was significantly higher than the scale’s median (i.e., 3), while anxiety levels were significantly lower than 3. Regarding cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load was significantly below 3, whereas germane cognitive load was significantly above 3.

Qualitative feedback revealed that all participants agreed that the game helped them better understand the daily lives of the elderly. Moreover, 95% reported gaining deeper insight into older adults’ conditions and difficulties, 70% felt more emotionally connected to them, 65% experienced less communication pressure, and 85% indicated improved focus on functional evaluation aspects.

Authors:
Yu-Xiang Lin, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Chih-Chung Chien, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Prof. Huei-Tse Hou is a Distinguished Professor of Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/huei-tse-hou-0672a927/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Huei-Tse-Hou

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