South Lakes carers take part in ground-breaking dementia experience
Carers from the South Lakes and Furness home care provider, Heydays Care and Support Services, Grange Cottage Residential Care Home and the Old Vicarage Residential Care Home in Allithwaite attended a state-of-the-art dementia experience day on Thursday 30th November 2023.
The Virtual Dementia Tour offers a scientifically and medically proven way of giving a person with a healthy brain the experience of what dementia might be like. With mobile units available to hire across the UK, the virtual tour offers care providers a unique opportunity to understand the effects of the illness as well as practical tips and advice for those caring for people with dementia.
Hayley Hill, Care Coordinator and Trainer for Heydays Care & Support Services in South Lakes said, “We’re always on the lookout for new and engaging training courses that will give our carers valuable additional knowledge and skills. We’re lucky to have a brilliant group of carers that are as passionate about great care as we are and really relish the chance to learn and develop.
We recently hosted some specialist dementia training with the Alzheimer’s Society which was well received by our team, so when Grange Cottage suggested the virtual dementia tour, we leapt at the chance to gain extra insight.”
On the day, carers were invited onto the virtual tour bus in small groups where they experienced a simulated setting designed to challenge the senses, replicating the kind of environment in which those living with dementia see the world. Following this, training facilitator Marc Finbow gave an explanation of the theory along with practical tips and guidance on how to support individuals living with dementia.
Michelle, one of the carers from the Old Vicarage described the experience as confusing, scary and claustrophobic, whilst a Heydays Carer, Lauren Gleadow commented, “It was a very informative and thought-provoking course; though I personally found it quite overwhelming to be put in the shoes of someone with dementia.
It’s a wonderful feeling to know that as a carer, I have the opportunity to be a beacon of light to someone that at times may feel vulnerable, frightened and alone. The experience has given us the tools to potentially make someone’s life a little better, and I feel lucky that we’ve had the chance to take the tour.”
Sue Wilson, Care Manager at The Old Vicarage explained what an amazing experience the virtual tour was, saying “More people need to undertake this experience; not just care workers but anyone who has friends or family that live with dementia. We all think we understand what it must be like but until you put yourself in this situation you can’t.
My staff and I were overwhelmed putting ourselves in the shoes of people suffering from dementia. It made us all look at things very differently and question our practice. We look forward to introducing more of our staff to this in the future.”
