MORE than 50 people took part in an "unnerving" virtual experience designed to help give an understanding of what it is like to have dementia.
The 'dementia bus' was at Gordale Garden Centre in Burton, South Wirral on Saturday (June 22).
The mobile Apollo Care, a local home care service provider, has sponsored the mobile simulator as part of its mission to raise awareness of dementia, which experts predict will affect more than one million people in Britain by 2025.
Visitors took turns to board an educational ‘dementia bus’, equipped with sensory apparatus that simulates for a few minutes what people who have the condition live with every day.
Recalling her experience on board the bus, Helen said: "It was a lot more disorientating than I expected.
"It affects all your senses – sight, hearing and touch – that you take for granted. The whole experience is unnerving and I found it very triggering.
"To know that people who have dementia go through that constantly is upsetting.
"It makes them relatable, and you feel more understanding."
Helen's partner Thomas added: "I’m lucky not to know someone affected by dementia, and you don’t really think about it until it happens.
"You think it’s mostly memory loss, but this experience was a brilliant eye-opener on the other symptoms. It’s very intense and in your face – something I think everyone should do."
The Virtual Dementia Tour stop was sponsored by home care service provider Apollo Care, whose founder Cheryl White was in attendance alongside Suzanne Janvier, Managing Director of Apollo Care (South Wirral), and Hannah White, Managing Director of Apollo Care (West Wirral).
Visitors to the bus were provided with padded gloves to recreate loss of touch sensation; eyeglasses that took away peripheral vision and mimicked the effects of glaucoma; and headsets that played constant static and disembodied voices.
Hannah said: "When I entered the simulator, the facilitator told me to: “Do something useful..
"With everything going on in my ears and all the flashing lights, I just couldn’t make sense of the instruction.
"It has made me think more about the words I use with our clients and how I can be more helpful by being more specific.
"It was an amazing experience and one that all our care staff are going to do in partnership with the bus provider, Training 2 CARE. We want to look after people from a place of true empathy.”
Representatives of independent charity Dementia Together Wirral were also in attendance – including Chair Allan Grogan, Trustee Sharon Bird and volunteer Joan Janvier.
Joan, 75, a retired bookkeeper from Parkgate said: "Volunteering has saved me and given me a purpose in life.
"I didn’t know much about dementia when I first started, but I was open to learning and I absolutely love working with the clients, who become like family.
"They get a lot out of the opportunities we offer, such as singing and music groups; day trips and walking groups; and to live life as normally as they can.
"When carers are left alone after someone passes away or goes into a home, we are there to support them to carry on."
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