Home Instead Norwich bring Virtual Dementia Experience to The Forum
Many of us will come face to face with the harsh realities of dementia at some point in our lifetime. Whether it be through supporting a loved one, or even at work, understanding dementia can have a positive impact on the ways in which we interact with and support those living with the condition.
As experienced providers of specialist dementia care, Home Instead Norwich are passionate about educating both staff and the wider community on the realities of living with dementia, as well as equipping them to provide the highest standard of care.
In line with Home Instead Norwich’s commitment to supporting those living with dementia in the city, a large-scale training event was held outside The Forum on Thursday 15th August. Opened with a welcome speech from the Sheriff of Norwich, the event was centred around Training2Care’s Virtual Dementia Experience tour bus. The Home Instead-branded bus has been travelling across the UK throughout August, providing attendees with a half-day immersive training course, designed to give some insight into the daily lives of those with dementia.
‘I felt completely disconnected and alone. I felt like I had lost all control over things I wanted to do.’ – Marion, Care Professional
This medically and scientifically proven experience uses various sensory features to replicate some of the feelings and sensations associated with dementia, giving participants a sense of how challenging day-to-day living can become. Spiky insoles are placed in shoes and large ‘fireproof’ style gloves are used to give participants an understanding of how neuropathy can present in someone with dementia, whilst goggles with yellow lenses and blacked-out centres distort the vision, highlighting the limitations of someone living with visual impairments or macular degeneration.
Over 30 Care Professionals from Home Instead Norwich took part in the experience during the day. ‘The aim of this state-of-the-art training experience was to give our staff the chance to gain a better understanding of their clients by gaining first-hand experience. This investment in training is going to further improve the level of knowledge of our staff, allowing them to deliver an exceptional level of relationship-led, client-centred care,’ stated Chris Carter, Owner and Director of Home Instead Norwich.
‘A powerful experience that will stay with me for a very long time.’ – Jenny, Care Professional Experience Lead
‘I really thought I knew how I was going to feel, as I feel like I have a good knowledge of dementia. However, nothing prepared me for how isolated and vulnerable I felt and at someone else’s mercy. What an eye opener.’ – Sonia, Care Professional Experience Lead
Amongst the team taking part in the experience was Care Professional Ally Knight, who told us, ‘the dementia bus was absolutely fantastic, I now know exactly how some of my clients may be feeling. Although I already encourage my clients with dementia to be involved in different things, this experience has given me a much better understanding of what they are going through’.
‘It made me realise how very frightening the whole experience can be, 10 minutes for me but years for some’ – Wendy, Care Professional
‘The darkness and the constant noise were extremely unpleasant, and being hardly able to see was disorientating. It helped make sense of why some clients with advanced dementia behave the way they do.’ – Jan, Care Professional
