VR for Care Homes & Hospices

Virtual reality in care homes and hospices is used to give participants immersive experiences without leaving their care setting. At Vae Care, this means guided 360° “virtual field trips” to calm, beautiful and meaningful locations.

These experiences are designed specifically for older adults in care, with clear narration, gentle pacing, and stable visuals. Staff-led sessions can be delivered one-to-one or as part of a paired activity.

The focus is not on technology itself, but on creating shared experiences that support wellbeing, encourage conversation, and help participants feel more connected to the world around them.

VR experiences can support wellbeing by providing engaging, meaningful, and shared experiences that may be missing from daily life in care settings. Many care homes and hospices use VR to help improve mood and emotional engagement, reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation, encourage reminiscence and conversation, and create positive shared moments between participants, staff, and visiting family members. Vae Care experiences are designed to be calm, guided, and accessible, with an emphasis on enjoyment and comfort rather than fast-paced or overwhelming content.

When used appropriately, VR can be a safe and positive activity for people receiving care or support. At Vae Care, sessions are kept short and flexible, are always supervised by staff, and use stable visuals with gentle movement to minimise discomfort. Participation is always optional, and sessions can be paused or stopped at any time. Suitability is considered on an individual basis, ensuring comfort and wellbeing remain the priority throughout.

A typical VR session in a care home, hospice, or community care setting usually lasts between five and fifteen minutes when introducing VR for the first time. Sessions can be delivered one-to-one or with two people viewing together, depending on comfort, engagement, and available equipment.

Vae Care’s guided virtual field trips vary in length, with earlier experiences typically running between five and fifteen minutes, and later experiences extending up to thirty minutes. Shorter meditative and drone-only experiences are also available, usually lasting five to fifteen minutes, allowing services to select content that best suits the needs of the people taking part.

To use VR with Vae Care, services receive a complete, ready-to-use hardware package supplied directly by us. This removes the need for care homes or hospices to source or configure equipment themselves.

Our standard starter package includes 2 x VR headsets, 2 x sets of headphones, an Android tablet used to manage and launch experiences, an equipment carry case, and all required chargers and cables. The system is set up to work straight out of the box, allowing staff to focus on supporting people taking part rather than managing technology.

The equipment is designed to be portable, straightforward to use, and suitable for delivery across care homes & hospices.

VR can be suitable for some people living with dementia when it is used thoughtfully, with appropriate guidance and individual consideration. It is not suitable for everyone, and participation should always be informed by the individual’s needs, preferences, and circumstances.

In some cases, particularly where there are additional medical considerations, permission or guidance from a GP or other healthcare professional may be required before taking part. Decisions should always be made in line with existing care plans and professional advice.

Vae Care experiences are designed to be calm, clearly guided, and visually stable. While some experiences may naturally support reminiscence, such as visiting places that feel familiar or evoke memories, we intentionally strive to give participants new experiences to enjoy. This helps avoid over-reliance on memory recall alone and allows people to enjoy discovery, curiosity, and shared moments in the present. In practice, services often find that a balance between familiar themes and new environments works well.

Sessions should always be supported by staff who know the individual well, with close attention paid to comfort, mood, and verbal or non-verbal responses. Participation is always optional, and sessions can be paused or stopped at any time. The primary focus is on comfort, dignity, and wellbeing, using VR only where it adds value for the individual.

Staff do not need any prior technical expertise to run VR sessions, but structured staff training is provided as part of onboarding to ensure sessions are delivered competently, safely, and comfortably. Vae Care provides clear instruction on using the equipment, supporting people taking part, selecting appropriate experiences, and managing session length and comfort.

This training is practical rather than technical, focusing on safe operation, observation, and person-centred delivery. Staff are expected to follow Vae Care’s guidance and procedures closely to ensure VR is used consistently and safely across different care and hospice settings.

Our approach is designed to make VR easy to integrate into existing activity or support routines while maintaining high standards of safety and care, without adding unnecessary complexity or workload for staff.

Yes, absolutely! Families and visitors are actively encouraged to take part in VR sessions where appropriate. Shared VR experiences can help strengthen connection, support communication, and provide meaningful moments during visits.

Taking part together often gives families new topics of conversation and a shared point of reference, which can be especially valuable where communication has become more challenging. VR can also help visits feel more engaging and relaxed, focusing on shared enjoyment rather than routine conversation alone.

As with all sessions, participation is guided by individual comfort and preference, and sessions can be adapted or stopped at any time. The aim is to support positive, inclusive experiences that bring people together in a natural and supportive way.

Vae Care is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated specifically to delivering VR experiences for care homes and hospices. Our work is driven by social impact rather than commercial scale, and all experiences are designed with care environments and the people using them in mind.

All Vae Care experiences are produced in-house, giving us full control over pacing, tone, accessibility, and overall quality. Our guided virtual field trips are designed to feel like sharing an experience with a companion, rather than watching disconnected or fast-moving clips. Each experience follows a clear journey, helping people feel as though they have been on an adventure rather than simply shown a series of scenes. Drone footage is used thoughtfully to provide smooth, high-quality views that enhance immersion without overwhelming the viewer.

We also place a strong emphasis on music. We consistently receive positive feedback on our music choices, which are carefully selected to complement each experience and enhance its emotional impact. Music plays an important role in helping people feel relaxed, engaged, and emotionally connected to what they are seeing, often deepening the sense of presence and enjoyment.

Our approach is shaped by real-world use in care homes and hospices, and one of our experiences has received external recognition through an award-winning film produced in Germany. This allows us to prioritise meaningful experiences, ethical delivery, and long-term value for the services and people we support.

Getting started with Vae Care begins with a conversation about your care home or hospice, the people you support, and how you would like to use VR. This allows us to understand your setting and recommend an approach that is appropriate, realistic, and safe.

Once a service decides to proceed, we provide a complete hardware package and structured staff training as part of onboarding. We support you through setup, explain how sessions should be delivered, and help you choose experiences that are suitable for those taking part. Services are encouraged to start gradually, building confidence and familiarity over time.

Ongoing guidance and support are available to ensure VR continues to be used safely, consistently, and in a way that adds genuine value to your service.