A unique tour bus rolled into the Midlands based, award-winning care home, The Old Vicarage Care Home in Chesterfield to provide care team and relatives of their residents with a virtual experience of what it could be like to live with dementia, this Dementia Action Week (15-21 May 2023).
Family of The Old Vicarage residents who are currently living with dementia hopped on board the specially equipped bus to experience what living with Dementia may be like for their loved ones.
Offering a range of sensory tools, the bus, which is operated by Training 2 Care, has been designed to provide an insightful, virtual experience to people who do not live with the condition, so they can better understand how dementia impacts on thought processes, behaviours, and feelings among those they care for.
“The training is invaluable, and our team will be using their experiences to make any necessary adjustments to help improve day to day living for our residents who are living with dementia, and we can further develop our dementia care services. We’re offering families free training and support sessions to help them understand the condition better, build confidence and find solutions that lead to improved well-being both for themselves and the person with dementia. said Karen Middleton, Adepts Dementia Manager.”
Investment in the Virtual Dementia Tour is part of Adept’s new Dementia Program to enhance its dementia care offering across all its homes.
One family member who took part said “ It has been a very worthwhile experience, it has opened my eyes and I can understand what mum might be going through. I am so thankful I have been able to take part and I hope more people get this opportunity.”
Karen added: “We’re excited to be leading the way and having the tour bus on site is the first step towards our vision for enhancing dementia care services across our homes and we want every person to not only live well with dementia but thrive and allows us to ensure our home is a superb place to live or work.
If you are looking for dementia care or need any further help, contact the home on 01246 384 121.”