Virtual dementia tour

I put on dark glasses that blocked my vision. I put in ear buds that chanted gibberish and wailing sirens. I put on too-big gloves, one inside out. I put plastic inserts in my shoes that poked me constantly.

Then I went into a darkened room with a strobe light flashing and attempted to complete several tasks, spoken to me quietly in quick order.

Uh, what?

I fumbled around, remembering the tasks, but not able to complete them all because I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Where were the towels?

I have the advantage of a good memory and the ability to block out noise and pain – at least temporarily.

But for people with dementia, this distorted reality might be too real.

Stoney River Memory Care in Marshfield provided the session for members of the Wood County Coalition Against Abuse Interdisciplinary Team recently. The purpose of the I-Team is to increase awareness surrounding the topic of abuse and neglect of elders and adults at risk in Wood County, to coordinate efforts of various agencies that respond to abuse and neglect and to facilitate the development of better resources and preventative efforts. We meet quarterly to learn and share. We have different guest speakers and topics each time.

The virtual dementia tour is meant to simulate what a person with dementia might be experiencing. The shoe inserts mimic foot pain or chronic pain, and they make you more unsteady. The glasses distort and darken vision as might be the case with eye problems in elderly people. They also alter your “normal” reality. The gloves make you fumble more – you’re less sure of your grip and have trouble with fine motor skills. The ear buds that provide constant noise distract from the task at hand. They make it hard to hear instructions, just as hearing loss can make it hard to hear people’s voices.

We were timed as we did our tasks, although our results weren’t revealed. I think the timing was meant to encourage us to keep going and wrap up our tour – not that anyone would want to stay longer than necessary.

We knew we were only in that situation for a short time. We were doing it willingly.

People with dementia don’t have that luxury.

The women who offered the tour said they encourage family members to take the tour to get an idea of what it’s like for their loved ones with dementia. They said people sometimes break down, realizing how difficult it would be to live like that.

The tour should help caregivers – both family and professional – understand the importance of speaking slowly and clearly, making eye contact, only giving one task or suggestion at a time, showing what you want accomplished and taking into account pain and confusion.

The virtual dementia tour gave me a better understanding for what it might be like to live with dementia and a greater appreciation for caregivers. If you get the chance, I strongly encourage you to take a tour.