Pioneering virtual reality tool set to raise dementia awareness by putting users in the perspective of a person living with the condition

A pioneering virtual reality tool could help raise awareness of the difficulties in carrying out everyday activities faced by dementia patients.

The training tool, developed with funding from Alzheimer’s Society, puts users in the perspective of a person living with the condition as they navigate a supermarket.

Researchers say they hope it will help retail workers and the public understand the challenges experienced by dementia patients as they go about their everyday lives. 

This increased awareness, they say, should improve knowledge, awareness, attitudes and confidence when providing support for those living with the condition.

‘We know that a lot of people with dementia avoid certain circumstances because they feel they won’t be supported,’ says lead researcher Dr Megan Rose Readman. ‘As a result, they often withdraw from their community.’

The ten-minute video, which can be watched immersively through a virtual reality headset or on a computer, shows some of the sensory and recognition challenges faced by dementia patients.

‘We’re trying to create a dementia-friendly community to support people to live well in their local areas,’ adds Dr Readman. 

‘And one of the biggest ways to do that is to provide people with education. Empathy can go a really long way.’

Researchers say the tool is currently being trialled before it will be rolled out publicly. 

The team hopes major retailers will soon use it as training for staff.

The Daily Mail and Alzheimer’s Society have partnered in a drive to beat dementia, which claims 76,000 lives a year as Britain’s biggest killer. 

Our Defeating Dementia campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease in an effort to increase early diagnosis and improve care.