Heron Lodge care home staff gain powerful insights on Virtual Dementia Tour Bus

Staff at Heron Lodge Care Home, in Wroxham, were given a powerful insight into the practical difficulties of living with a condition affecting so many of their residents when the Virtual Dementia Tour Bus drove up.

Stepping on to the bus brought by a team from Essex-based Training 2 Care, the Kingsley Healthcare employees were given an immersive experience involving sound, vision, lights and touch.  

They were kitted out with vision-impaired goggles, headphones displaying background noise, an insert in shoes to simulate pins and needles, and thick gloves to demonstrate difficulties in picking up objects and feeling texture, as well as taking instructions over the background noise.

When asked why they could not complete simple tasks, a frequent response was: “I can’t do it.”

Home manager Diana Boros said: “It was an emotional experience finding out the daily struggle that people living with dementia must go through when trying to complete simple day-to-day tasks, we all learned so much.”

Trainers explained that from the first diagnosis of dementia, it is important to look out for any signs of foot pain; this could be through individuals taking their shoes off a lot. Ensure toe nails are cut and footwear is comfortable.

Keeping on top of hydration and nutrition is important for fall prevention, and you may find individuals with dementia hurting themselves without realising it due to pain receptors becoming damaged.