Cherry Tree Lodge will be creating a fully immersive experience for the team and resident’s families at the care home in Leamington Spa. The Walking Through Dementia experience will be a ‘must do’ activity for everyone who wants to help those living with dementia to gain a better quality of life.
The team at Cherry Tree Lodge trialled the new activity to gain a better understanding of dementia and how it affects people’s daily lives. The trial began on the week of the 11th of April and will roll out to residents’ families and friends at the beginning of May.
To grasp a deeper understanding of the effects of dementia on a person’s day-to-day life, the care home has purchased a variety of different items to simulate the feeling.
The experience will be available for residents’ families and friends to help to give a level of understanding of how people’s loved ones may be feeling daily. Walking through dementia will be available to the Whitnash community to experience and other care services to adopt with their own teams.
Home Manager for Cherry Tree Lodge, Scott Winslott, said: “We are very proud to go live with our personalised and innovative experience. The purpose of this experience is to give an insight of what it might be like living with Dementia and sensory impairment.
Our theory is that by supporting and developing our team in a practical experience, this will have a positive impact and change individuals’ perspective on care delivery and reassurance that may be required for people living with Dementia, having felt what it may be like for themselves.
We have created possible symptoms that will highlight some of the challenges, feelings and emotions that someone living with Dementia may experience, everyone deserves to live well, having a diagnosis of Dementia does not change this fact. We feel that upon completion of this experience it will really enhance the level of understanding and awareness and make people consider the importance of communication, patience and the need for everyday reassurance and person centred care.”
