Can a simulation help people feel the world through someone else’s eyes? Our Dementia Simulation Experience recently traveled to New York to support an exhibition featuring photographs created by individuals living with dementia.
Osmos Magazine, an independent publication devoted to exploring memory, perception, and the human experience through photographic art, recently featured a powerful project created by photographers living with dementia. To deepen empathy and give viewers a more immersive understanding of the challenges these artists face, Osmos reached out to Realityworks to incorporate our Dementia Simulation Experience into their exhibition. What followed was a moving, hands-on event that invited attendees to step into the world of the photographers behind the images.
“We hosted an event in conjunction with the release of a photo-essay wherein the images were taken by people experiencing dementia,” said Raine Trainor, the event’s coordinator. “We hosted a workshop at their activity-based care center wherein they were given cameras to use and made a selection of those photos they took. We found there was a lot of joy in them.”
Using the Dementia Simulation Experience, event organizers put their eventgoers into the shoes of the people who created these photos. The Dementia Simulation Experience is a powerful education tool that aims to better the understanding of the complex effects of dementia. By combining simulation glasses, headphones, MP3, audio files and gloves, the simulation replicates the sensory and cognitive impairments associated with dementia — and allows people to experience and better grasp the daily difficulties encountered by those affected.
“We felt that participants were a bit surprised by the amount of empathy they gained from this singular experience with the simulator,” said Trainor. “Guests of all ages were enthralled and we feel came out of the experience with a new perspective on those experiencing dementia.”
The event placed strong emphasis on bridging the gap between people living with dementia and those who are not.
“It was a thoughtful and informative evening and we found that the kits sparked so many meaningful conversations,” said Trainor. “The simulator opened up a dialogue about time, memory, and aging that became a pleasant and cathartic conversation for many.”
Learn more about Realityworks’ Dementia Simulation Experience here.
