November marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, with the goal of giving the general public greater knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the disease, promote early diagnosis and encourage and support brain health.
Nearly 7 million Americans live with the disease and it is deadlier than both breast and prostate cancer combined, and numbers are projected to increase substantially in coming decades. Around 185,000 people in New Jersey alone are living with the disease.
In an attempt to make it easier for those not themselves experiencing dementia, The Residence at Cherry Hill, an assisted living facility, created a simulation experience of what dementia is like for those who live with it.Â
Titled “A Walk in Their Shoes,” the simulation involved participants learning the physical effects dementia has on the body.
Participants wear glasses with darkened screens to restrict their vision, gloves that alter dexterity in the hands and fingers, show inserts that replicate nerve pain and headphones mimic hearing loss.
Each step and device is explained to the participant, giving them information about the research and science behind the simulation.
Once they are set up, individuals taking part in the experience are asked to perform seemingly simple tasks like finding a specific card in a deck or reaching into a bag to find a notebook and write down their feelings.
Amber Evans is the vice president of memory care and resident engagement services at LCB Senior Living, which operates The Residence.
“What they realize is, once they have all these items on them, it becomes very difficult to do simple tasks,” she said.
The goal is foster greater understanding in those who are not currently living with any form of dementia for those who are, especially their caregivers and loved ones.
“It kind of gives them an empathy of what that person living with dementia is going through on the day to day, and hopefully alters their response to that loved one,” Evans explained.
Though the experience is often used by those working in memory care or connected to someone living with dementia, anyone interested is able to take part, with simulations being held at the location on a monthly basis.
In addition to the broader community, all employees at the senior living facility do the simulation. Various first responder organizations and nursing schools also take part to create greater awareness of the struggles of those living with dementia.
As the actions and reactions of those with the disease can be difficult for those around them to understand, Evans emphasized that empathy was a key piece in caring for them, as well as remembering that they are now experiencing the world differently.
“A loved one, living with this disease, is relying less on their words and more on their emotions,” she said. “Pay attention to nonverbal information, speaking slowly and really paying more attention to the emotion behind it and less about the actual words that are being spoken.”
Evans also expressed the importance of finding a community to help handle the changes that come along with having a loved one live with the disease.
“If people are worried that their loved one might be starting this journey, seek help from their local community,” she advised. “This is something that requires people to wrap arms around you and do this together.”
