Virtual dementia experience

The first of its kind in the UK and only the third in the world, the experience takes place onboard a mobile unit and offers an insight into the world of people with dementia.

Aimed primarily at those caring for people with dementia, it has been devised to help improve the quality of care and understanding of the condition.

The Virtual Dementia Tour will be at the Care & Dementia Show for the first time, offering visitors two to three-minute taster sessions, which will give them an idea just how disorientating living with dementia can be. This is followed by a debrief, explaining how they can change their working practices to accommodate the needs of people living with dementia.

Chris Edwards, Care & Dementia Show brand director, comments: "With 850,000 people in the UK alone diagnosed with dementia, there needs to be a greater understanding of the condition and how we can better care for people living with the condition. We are very excited to bring this virtual experience to the show so that all of our visitors have the opportunity to access this invaluable resource."

To take part visitors will need to visit the Training2Care stand to make an appointment. Visitors will be equipped with glasses blocking their peripheral vision, headphones generating intense sounds and gloves which numb fingertips. They will then be asked to undertake a number of everyday tasks, all of which become extremely difficult with the props.

Glenn Knight, managing director of Training2Care, which organises the experience, added: "The Virtual Dementia Tour gives an opportunity to understand what we need to change to keep our loved ones at home longer, improve our practice and improve the quality of our care. Scary, isolating, confusing and emotional, this experience should not be missed, and will truly change the lives of people with the condition."