The Virtual Dementia Tour: An experience at Sedgewood Commons in Maine

Ann V. Quinlan, Senior Care Advisor

Earlier this week, Ann Quinlan, a Senior Care Advisor here at Beach Glass Transitions, attended a “Virtual Dementia Tour” at Sedgewood Commons Alzheimer’s Care, an Assisted Living Community for seniors with dementia, in Falmouth ME.   I’d like to share with you Ann’s thoughts on the experience:

“This was a profound experience and hard to put into words.  As a seasoned care manager and educator in the arena of aging and dementia, entering that world this week as a participant in the Virtual Dementia Tour at Sedgewood Commons altered my perspective on numerous aspects of living with dementia and frailty.  The facilitator had us enter a dark room wearing head phones feeding noise and chatter into our ears; we wore rubber gloves with several fingers bound in each hand and foggy glasses; we walked with simulated neuropathy in our feet.  Suddenly the most simple of tasks became impossible to complete.  This is what life is like for so many seniors in Maine and beyond.

I urge you all to seek out this kind of Virtual Dementia Tour experience.  Become more sensitized to the needs of frail elders, even if you are not in a position of caregiving for them in your personal or professional lives. We all encounter elders in our daily activities – at the supermarket and in our neighborhood.  Having a deeper understanding of their most basic limitations (especially if they have memory loss) is bound to widen your perspective on our aging friends and family members.  And that is bound to make you a better community and family member.”

Visit our About Us page to read more on Ann Quinlan.

Watch an ABC News video on the Virtual Dementia Tour.