Virtual dementia tour at Cheriton Care Home brings people together
Our Cheriton Care Home in Dorchester brought the local community together by hosting a visit from the virtual dementia tour bus – an eye-opening experience of what life can be like for people living with dementia.
The experience from Train 2 Care involves specialist equipment which changes the way participants use their senses, including sight and hearing, to simulate how people living with dementia may perceive the world around them.
The virtual dementia tour was organised by Cheriton Registered Manager Helen Persey and Deputy Managers Sam Fidler and Kelly-Marie Murton as a training resource for the whole team, but also as a community event to raise awareness about dementia.
Cheriton Registered Manager Helen Persey (3rd from right) with Deputy Managers Kelly-Marie Murton (2nd from right) and Sam Fidler (3rd from right) and members of the care team
The Cheriton team contacted family members of residents, invited a range of healthcare professionals and opened the doors to the public.
There was a great turnout for the event which led to a diverse cross-section of people talking about their own understanding and thoughts about dementia, fuelled by their experiences on the virtual dementia tour.
NHS Dorset Trusted Assessor Michelle Turner participated in the virtual dementia tour
One of the invited healthcare professionals was Michelle Turner, Trusted Assessor from NHS Dorset, who found the experience very moving.
She said:
“The virtual dementia tour made for a very eye-opening experience, one that gave me a real insight into the life and worldview of people living with dementia.”
Pat Potter, wife of Cheriton resident Geoffrey, wearing the specialist equipment
Many relatives of Cheriton residents participated to gain a greater understanding of what their loved ones might feel. Relatives of a resident Brenda, Wendy and Joan, found the tour to be ‘very educational and eye-opening’, but also ‘touching’, especially ‘when thinking of the little things that you don’t often notice’.
Cheriton Care Home Registered Manager Helen Persey (pictured above) was delighted with the response from the virtual dementia tour, adding:
“I am so happy that we were able to share the virtual dementia tour experience with the Dorchester community.
“To get so many people openly talking about dementia was very rewarding. It is only through these discussions that we can learn more about the condition and support each other better.
“Equally, it was so important to me that every member of the team, including those in maintenance and our kitchen team, had the opportunity to experience what life can be like for those living with dementia.
“I am always looking at ways for Cheriton to actively participate in the local community, and myself and the team have got much planned for the coming months.”
About Cheriton Care Home
Cheriton Care Home is comprised of Badbury House and Maumbury House and has 70 bedrooms for people living at the home. Located in the heart of Dorchester, the home is fully equipped to deal with a range of care needs and specialises in affordable residential, respite, reablement and dementia care.
For further information about Cheriton Care Home, click here.
