Dementia is a cruel condition. Not only does the person living with dementia have to experience a set of ever-changing symptoms, it is likely that they will struggle to understand what they are feeling and to put it into words in a way that can help people to give them exactly the care that they need. Working with Training 2 CARE UK Ltd, the team at Old Sarum undertook the Virtual Dementia Tour in early July 2022. What makes the Virtual Dementia Tour so important for carers and those looking after people with dementia is that it shows people with a healthy brain what it feels like to step into the shoes of someone suffering with dementia.
This game-changing – and life-changing – training is a globally-renown method of letting neuro-typical people see what life is like with dementia. As a result, it means that changes can be made to the care and environment of dementia patients with the objective of improve their day-to-day experience.
World-Class Training
The Virtual Dementia Tour was developed in the late 1990s, in the US, by Professor PK Beville. Owned by Second Wind Dreams, Training 2 CARE are the UK partners and are actively bringing the training experience to carers and care homes all over the country. As a provider that’s dedicated to improving life in their care homes for dementia sufferers, Elmfield Care was keen to introduce the training to both Old Sarum and Flowers Manor, with a session planned for Flower Manor in the near future.
The impact of the training shows is clear, in research undertaken by the University of Ulster. Changing the practice of 95% of those who undertake the training and improving the knowledge of 97%, the training has been shown to improve outcomes of dementia sufferers by 100% – and that’s a figure that we think is well worth investing time and resource into. Our dementia residents are an integral part of our community and meeting their needs is essential to our everyday routines.
Experiencing Dementia
It’s hard to know what someone with dementia is feeling – which makes it hard to know how best to meet their needs. Training 2 CARE’s Virtual Dementia Tour will leave you feeling confused, isolated, lost, intimidated and vulnerable, with many other feelings and emotions at stake. For caregivers, it shows what you can do to improve your quality of dementia care and to improve outcomes.
The training is being put to good use around the UK, but it is especially invaluable within the care sector. For the staff at Old Sarum Manor, it has allowed them to identify new ideas and forms of best practice which are being implemented.
Enabling the trainee to experience life from the point of view of the dementia sufferer drives an increase in positive care outcomes but it can make a real difference to retention of staff as well as encourage a shared sense of understanding across the care team. It facilitates new and important conversations between families and care staff, with everyone gaining an improved appreciation of what can be experienced by a dementia sufferer.
