Tour helps people experience confusion of Alzheimer's


The statistics on Alzheimer’s Disease can be pretty sobering. Nearly half of North Americans over the age of 85 have either Alzheimer’s or another type of Dementia, and many of these people will require care either in an assisted living community or Alzheimer’s Care facility.

Nearly six million people across North America already have Alzheimer’s Disease, and to help caregivers and the rest of the public understand the challenges facing those with this illness, one charity is going beyond words.

Alzheimer's Tennessee Inc., based in Knoxville, Tennessee, runs a ‘Virtual Dementia Tour’ which helps people experience what it’s like to live with the degenerative mental disease, according to a recent article on KnoxNews.com.

According to the article, the group uses equipment such as goggles, tape, earphones and other pieces of equipment to help simulate life as an Alzheimer’s sufferer.

The simulation “is one of those experiences that gives individuals true insight into that environment and really helps them understand the strategies that we can put into place,” Janice Wade-Whitehead from Alzheimer’s Tennessee, told the news source.

The visual tour is typically offered to doctors and nurses, but this week, they will offer it to the general public. For information on the Virtual Dementia tour, visit AlzTennessee.org.