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A Virtual Walk Through Dementia

When we think of dementia, we often focus on the symptom of Memory Loss like forgetting people’s names and failing to recognizing family members. However, there are a number of symptoms associated with the condition that make every day life frustrating and humiliating for the person experiencing them.
Every day tasks like shopping or making a cup of tea can seem impossible when your processing faculties are impaired.  Walking down the street can be frightening when your depth perception is compromised and a puddle looks like a huge hole.
In order to show the public that dementia is more complex than just memory loss, the Alzheimer’s Association UK, together with Google UK developed a Virtual Reality App that effectively demonstrates the various symptoms and challenges of dementia.  Showing three separate experiences: 1) going to the grocery store; 2) walking down the street; 3) returning to the house, the viewer has a vivid experience of the feelings of a person with dementia.  Take a look at the App here. 
McKenney Home Care is using the Virtual Reality App as a training tool for its caregivers.  Caregivers assigned dementia cases will be required to come to the office and spend some time with the App.  “It is a tool that provides education, but also sensitizes the Caregivers to the experience of our clients” says Michele McKenney, Administrator.  Kate Cawthorne, Director of Nursing is delighted to have this tool so readily available for training purposes.  The whole team commends the work of Alzheimers Association UK and Google UK in creating this free and effective App.