Immersive virtual dementia tour experience comes to Mayo
THE renowned Virtual Dementia Tour rolled into Castlebar this week as part of a nationwide campaign by Dovida to provide family members of people living with dementia with an insight into their loved one’s experience of the condition.
The Virtual Dementia Tour, commonly known as the ‘dementia bus’ or ‘dementia simulator’, will visit Dovida’s 25 locations during its journey, which will see 800 people take part throughout the campaign.
As well as offering family members a valuable insight into the inner life of someone living with dementia, the company is using the dementia bus as a vehicle to give its caregivers and local healthcare professionals an immersive training experience.
“This is a uniquely immersive training course which allows people to walk in the shoes of a person living with dementia,” Frances Maloney, general manager of Dovida Mayo, said.
The state-of-the-art dementia bus uses technology to replicate the sensory changes associated with dementia. Participants wear goggles, headphones and spiky insoles. They are then asked to perform everyday tasks, but with distorted vision, loud noises, and sensory overload, which recreate what it’s like to have dementia.
The experience concludes with an expert-led debrief, which helps participants understand what they have experienced and offers useful tips and strategies to make the world a better place for people living with dementia.
“There are currently over 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland, and that number is projected to double by 2045. It’s crucial that as many people as possible gain a better understanding of the condition, so we can empathise with what people are going through,” Frances added.
The dementia bus initiative adds to Dovida’s existing caregiver training and contributes to a more holistic approach to caring for people with the condition. Dovida offers accredited City & Guilds dementia care training through its Home Care Professionals Academy. This research-based training course puts the person’s dignity first and teaches practical skills to support people living with dementia.
“As well as the practical element of home care, the emotional and companionship elements are also hugely important. Initiatives such as the dementia bus help us to build on our current training and empower our caregivers to deliver the best possible care and support to our clients,” Frances concluded.