Simulation aims for empathy
Participants learn about effects of dementia firsthand
Their vision and hearing impaired, their hands gloved and legs weighted down, two nursing students found it a challenge to complete simple tasks.
“It was a lot harder than I expected it to be,” said nursing student Jessica Foisey.
The McMaster University student was one of a number of people who participated in a virtual aging and dementia simulation at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Thursday.
“When I tried to use my hands to feel things I had to pick them up and bring them really close to my face because I couldn’t recognize it by touch.”
The simulation, hosted by the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region and the Niagara Health System, provided participants with an opportunity to walk in the shoes of an aging individual with memory impairments.
“The main goal is to build empathy in people who work with people living with dementia,” said Jessica Pace, education co-ordinator with the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region.
Participants had their senses temporarily “modified” so that they could experience the world in a similar way as an older adult with dementia and other health conditions.
‘We are taking some of the losses that come along with aging, and we’re trying to re-create that feeling people have when they experience some of these changes to their abilities,” Pace explained.
Fingers were wrapped with cotton balls, for example, and then gloved, and participants wore
glasses which greatly reduced their vision.
“With our aging population, I think it’s going to be really helpful for us to understand what people are going through,” Foisey said after she completed the simulation.
“You can read about it as much as you want but until you actually go through it, it’s hard to understand what people are going through.”
Fellow nursing student Kylie Drohan agreed.
“You never really learn how someone experiences something so to get to go through it yourself you get an idea of what’s happening with the patient and that allows us to care for them better,” she said.
This is the third year the NHS partnered with the local Alzheimer society to offer to the simulation. The event is held each May in recognition of Seniors Month.
“This event shows people what older adults are facing in terms of changes that happen as we age and some of the challenges older adults face,” said Christina Huntington, NHS nurse practitioner specializing in geriatric mental health.
“As they’re brought through the simulation, it shines the light on what life is like for an older adult.”
Niagara has one of the largest senior populations per capita in Canada. The number of people diagnosed with dementia in 2017/ 2018 is just over 10,000.
The Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region provides personalized support and education to approximately 750 families.
The NHS also provides a geriatric assessment program where a team of geriatricians and nurse clinicians address issues such as dementia and depression.