{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T00:56:29Z","timestamp":1760057789613,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,28]],"date-time":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740700800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006041","name":"Innovate UK","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["10055599"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["10055599"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006041","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Virtual Worlds"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Engaging with music has been shown to have a positive impact on the quality of life of residents in care homes, who are known to be affected by anxiety, depression and loneliness. Based on the known benefits of in-person singing activities, a new Virtual Reality (VR) choir application was developed to facilitate group singing, aiming to improve residents\u2019 wellbeing and sense of community. Co-designed with Alzheimer Scotland, the intervention was tested in two care homes for functionality and to develop an approach towards assessing feasibility. Residents participated in scheduled sessions over a five-week period, in addition to staff engaging in independent ad hoc use of the experience with residents. Data on reactions to the intervention, the quality of life of participants and preferences about the outcome instruments were collected. The VR intervention proved technically successful, user-friendly, and allowed multiple users to sing together. Participants and staff showed strong enthusiasm for the intervention, with residents actively engaging in singing and movement, although some residents found the headsets uncomfortable. This suggests that VR choirs could be a valuable, scalable activity in care homes, especially when in-person facilitators are unavailable. Preliminary observations indicated that the intervention was not detrimental to participants\u2019 health; however, the sample size was very small and a larger feasibility study is required to examine the intervention\u2019s effectiveness, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This research highlights the challenges associated with measuring the feasibility of VR interventions in residential care settings, and the value of capturing qualitative data in an ecological setting that represents the intended use of the intervention.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/virtualworlds4010008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,28]],"date-time":"2025-02-28T08:05:54Z","timestamp":1740729954000},"page":"8","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Virtual Choirs in Care Homes: The Development and Early Assessment of a New Virtual Reality Choir Intervention"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5838-0120","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helena","family":"Daffern","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"AudioLab, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9117-6452","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helen","family":"Weatherly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9063-8590","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Saramago","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6387-5678","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kim","family":"Steele","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AudioLab, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK"}]},{"given":"Dana","family":"Greaves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AudioLab, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK"}]},{"given":"Maeve","family":"Kavanagh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Care Reality Co., Ltd., Dumfries DG1 3SJ, UK"}]},{"given":"Lucy","family":"Cooney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Care Reality Co., Ltd., Dumfries DG1 3SJ, UK"}]},{"given":"Jake","family":"Spreadborough","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Care Reality Co., Ltd., Dumfries DG1 3SJ, UK"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Honnan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Care Reality Co., Ltd., Dumfries DG1 3SJ, UK"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Johnston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AudioLab, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK"}]},{"given":"Ross","family":"Toomer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Care Reality Co., Ltd., Dumfries DG1 3SJ, UK"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"748","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afaa049","article-title":"What is the prevalence of loneliness amongst older people living in residential and nursing care homes? 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