Whitnash care home launches 'dementia experience room' to help people understand the condition

A ‘dementia experience room’ has been created at a care home in Whitnash to help more people understand the condition.

The room was launched on April 20 at the Cherry Tree Lodge care home in Gleave Road.

Cherry Tree Lodge care home is residential home that also specialises in looking after residents who have dementia.

During the launch a representative from BBC Coventry and Warwickshire joined members of staff from the care home to take part in the new experience room.

When entering the room people are given inserts with texture soles to place into shoes, prismatic glasses, thick gloves and head phones playing loud music.

There are also many distractions in the room such as bright flickering lights, loud music playing and several everyday tasks to achieve.

A spokesperson from Chery Tree Lodge said: “The experience is to provide a complete sensory overload to gain an idea of how someone living with sensory loss, cognitive decline or dementia may experience day to day life.

“There were set tasks to complete which individuals living with an impairment are expected to complete on a daily basis such as counting 19p and putting it into a purse or setting the clock to 6.40.

"The feedback from the experience we received was overwhelming and positive in the fact that this has changed peoples perceptions and approaches to our individuals living at our home.”