Wilfrid Laurier virtual reality program helping seniors with dementia stay active, engaged

Can virtual reality be used to help seniors living with dementia? CTV’s Spencer Turcotte learns more about a new program at Wilfrid Laurier University.

A new virtual reality program is helping seniors living with dementia stay active by transporting them somewhere else entirely.

Researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University are turning exercise into an immersive experience designed to be both therapeutic and engaging, combining physical movement with memory-triggering environments.

At the Adult Recreation Therapy Centre in Brantford, Ont., 84-year-old Donna Nowacki slips on a virtual reality headset and is suddenly no longer in the room — she’s out on the water, rowing alongside dolphins and casting a fishing line.

The program, called “Seas the Day,” is part of a broader research effort led by assistant professor John Muñoz and his team inside Laurier’s BioAdaptive Interface Lab.

The lab focuses on designing interactive technologies that respond to users in real time, using physiological data such as heart rate and muscle activity to adapt the experience to each individual.

“Participants can be engaged doing certain activities that we know they miss,” Muñoz said. “We know they like to do it. We know that they’ve been there before.”

The “Seas the Day” experience encourages movements like rowing, fishing and reaching, which help build strength and coordination, while tapping into familiarity and nostalgia.

“We have a cottage on Lake Erie, so it did remind me of some of the lake activities that we did there,” Nowacki said.

The program is part of a larger initiative often described as “exergaming,” where physical exercise is embedded into video game-style environments to improve both physical and cognitive well-being.

Each motion is carefully developed alongside therapists and health experts, gradually increasing intensity without overwhelming users.

“We are doing it in a way that is therapeutically correct as opposed to something that will potentially generate an injury,” Muñoz said.

The program also introduces a playful, competitive element by encouraging participants to beat their own scores, something researchers said helps improve motivation and long-term engagement.

“The one time I caught 12 fish. Yeah, 12 fish,” Nowacki said, excitedly.

That engagement can translate into broader benefits.

“I noticed a change in self-confidence,” she added.

The research is being conducted in partnership with community organizations in Brantford and supported by funding aimed at improving care for people living with dementia.

Researchers said the technology could eventually be used beyond dementia care, including for stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson’s disease and children’s mental health.

Muñoz is also collaborating with SickKids Hospital on projects exploring how similar virtual reality tools could support children with ADHD.

The long-term goal is to make these immersive therapy experiences more widely accessible and perhaps allow users to participate from home using standard virtual reality equipment.

For now, the focus remains on helping seniors reconnect with meaningful activities by turning exercise into an experience and moments into memories.