Tour bus simulates dementia to help understanding
People will be able to attempt everyday tasks wearing goggles to replicate sensory overload on the virtual dementia tour bus
- Published
A tour bus where people wear goggles and spiky insoles to simulate memory loss and dementia is to visit a pub in Sheffield.
Home care company Home Instead Sheffield & Barnsley has partnered with Training 2 Care to bring its Virtual Dementia Tour Bus to the city.
The tour bus aims to show more people what it is like living with memory-loss "in a scientifically-proven way", according to Training 2 Care.
The exercise takes around three hours and includes a debrief to help participants understand what they have experienced.
Supported by medical research, the bus uses technology to replicate the sensory changes associated with dementia.
Participants wear googles, headphones and spiky insoles and are then asked to perform everyday tasks but with distorted vision, loud noises and sensory overload which recreates what it is like to have dementia.
Alison Taylor from Home Instead said: “We place great importance on creating a dementia-friendly community that is informed, compassionate and better equipped to support individuals living with the condition."
She said she hoped the experience would give people a deeper understanding of dementia.
The specially-adapted bus will be at the Abbey pub on Chesterfield Road from 10:00 BST.
Anyone can visit alongside local businesses, care professionals, and people with loved ones who are affected by dementia, the company said.
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