‘Every mundane task is an ordeal... I couldn’t even sit down’
EVEN the slightest movements were difficult when I tried on an age simulation suit, writes Maggie O’Neill.
The kit transformed me from a healthy, active 23-year-old woman into a defenceless and frail elderly person.
I’d been asked to do three ‘simple’ tasks: fold towels, put on a T-shirt and open and eat a yogurt. But with a sudden inability to bend my elbows and knees, every mundane task suddenly became an ordeal.
It wasn’t long before I felt frightened, insecure and disorientated.
When I tried to eat the yogurt, I couldn’t get the spoon to my mouth. Putting on a shirt was nearly impossible because my arms had to stay straight.
I was asked to sit down but I could not lower myself into the chair by squatting – I had to stumble backwards into it, keeping my legs straight.
My impaired vision meant I could not clearly see the towels I was trying to fold, and my arms were sore because of the weights around my wrists.
The session may have been so alarming because I lost so much ability at once, rather than the slow deterioration that come with ageing. For me it was a short, sharp, shock. Trying to perform mundane, everyday tasks was incredibly frustrating, which is the point being hammered home to care home employees.
Watching the footage of myself wearing the suit, I noticed how stiff my movements were and that I couldn’t perform tasks easily.
I now feel incredible empathy for the elderly people I usually rush past on the street, and can understand how challenging it is for them to be aware of traffic, keep their balance and stay alert to what is around them.
The simulation suit made me aware of how many skills so many of us simply take for granted.