## 4 Discussion  
This scoping review examined the existing literature on how VR programs for older adults have been supported by aromatherapy, the outcome measures, and the outcomes of these programs. The six studies reviewed were conducted from 2020 to 2024. Alongside the use of head-mounted VR devices, researchers used essential oils and actual objects to provide the smell. For example, [PERSON] et al. [39] used a glass with pine needles and essential oils, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [37] set up the fruit and meat booths, while some other researchers used aroma diffusers [36]. Overall, VR interventions with aromatherapy were positive for older adults regarding emotional well-being, memory and cognition, engagement, physiological functioning, and socialization. Most studies had small sample sizes, with some papers mentioning the gender and age of participants. Only [PERSON]'s [35] study focused on the experiences of older adults living with dementia. Among the six studies reviewed, one paper by [PERSON] et al. [39] provided information about other demographics of older adults participating in the study, such as professional backgrounds and mobidities. There are two interesting findings from the reviewed studies for further discussions regarding shared experiences and combined intervention. One paper compared VR experiences with video projection experiences, where the projection intervention allowed for a shared experience [36]. With the advancement of VR technologies, we question whether a shared experience can also be experienced with VR head-mounted devices. There have been examples where participants can share VR experiences with their head-mounted devices [40]. With the positive feedback from older adults on how they value shared experiences [36], future researchers explore the potential of shared experiences of VR with aromatherapy via VR head-mounted devices. Another interesting point to note is how VR and aromatherapy can support each other. Most papers described their simultaneous use to provide multisensory experiences. However, in the paper by [PERSON] et al. [21], VR acted as a teaching tool to support older adults in better participating and engaging in the subsequent hands-on sessions to produce aromatherapy products. The combined impact of these interventions (the aromatherapy products) enhanced older adults' level of happiness, perceived stress, sleep quality, meditation experience, and life satisfaction [21]. These examples of simultaneous and sequential uses of VR and aromatherapy can stimulate reflections on the potential of how VR and aromatherapy can support each other for older adults. Although both VR and aromatherapy have been increasingly adopted by the older adult population, our review shows that there is still limited evidence and knowledge gaps regarding their combined usage. First, there are limited details describing how VR programs with aromatherapy can be set up. Although a few papers mentioned their choice of smells by using actual objects and aroma diffusers, there is a lack of documentation on details such as how the researchers chose the smell, the surrounding environment, the aroma concentration, and the distance of placement of aroma. These factors may impact the experiences of older adult participants who may have decreased olfactory sensations. [PERSON] [39] mentioned the impact and limitations for older adults to experience the effect of having aroma added to their VR multisensory experiences due to the masks worn by participants. As most studies describe multisensory experiences, including tactile, sound, visual and olfactory senses, researchers lack the focus on providing details of how older adults' experience of each sense can be supported during the intervention. The size and ventilation of the environment may also affect the aroma diffusion [41]. For example, having the intervention done in a public area in a hospital unit may provide a different sense of smell compared to a controlled area in a small room setting.