The Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT), an innovative training experience that immerses participants in the world of dementia, will make a return to Naidex this month.
Delivered across the UK through mobile simulators or in-house facilities, the VDT allows participants to experience the challenges faced by people living with dementia, helping them understand the practical changes needed in care and environment to improve quality of life.
Developed in America by Professor PK Beville and now offered in the UK by Training 2 CARE, the VDT has been shown through research by Ulster University in Northern Ireland to significantly improve dementia care.
Ahead of Care & Dementia, we caught up with Michael Peachey, Associate Director at Training 2 CARE, to learn more about the origins of the tour and the impact it has had on individuals across the UK.
When was the Virtual Dementia Tour first developed, and what inspired Training 2 CARE to deliver it across the UK?
The VDT was developed 25 years ago by Professor PK Beville, a world-renowned specialist in elderly care and dementia, with the aim of giving those with a healthy brain an understanding of what living with dementia might feel like.
Our MD, Glenn Knight, launched Training 2 CARE in 2010 and discovered the VDT shortly after. He recognised that the tour could be invaluable to anybody providing care and support to people living with dementia and worked to secure the sole license to deliver the experience across the UK and Ireland.
What impact has the experience had on people and families across the UK since its launch?
When we launched the VDT in the UK, it quickly became one of the most popular experiential training courses delivered in the country, with hundreds of thousands of people taking part every year.
The feedback has been phenomenal. The most rewarding thing about offering the experience is hearing from people months, or even years, after they have taken part about how it still resonates with them, and how it has inspired changes in the way they support people living with dementia.
What can visitors expect from the Virtual Dementia Tour, and who will benefit?
No matter how much experience you have, whether you’re a family member, carer, educator or health professional, the VDT will completely change your perceptions and reshape your understanding of what it is like to live with dementia.
How can anyone really know what another person might be experiencing unless they have walked in their shoes? That’s what this experience allows people to do.
How did the collaboration with Naidex come about and why did you choose this event to showcase the experience?
We have been exhibiting at Naidex since before the Covid-19 pandemic. We were fortunate that the show organisers realised the importance and effectiveness of experiential training very early on in our existence and they reached out to us about exhibiting. The tour has always proven to be hugely popular, with people coming to the show specifically to take part.
Our mission is to make society more inclusive, empowering and a place where people recognise strengths rather than focusing on challenges - values that align perfectly with Naidex. We’re honoured to partner with this event and excited to continue working together to create positive change.
To find out more about the Virtual Dementia Tour, click here.