Raising Dementia and Autism Awareness
The HICA Group have announced a series of events designed to raise awareness of dementia and autism in the community. The events will see people take part in an immersive virtual experience which will give them a glimpse of what it like living with these conditions.
The events, which are run by training provider Training2Care, will take place in specially designed buses at two HICA Group care homes.
The Dementia Bus will be visiting The Wolds Care Centre in Louth.
The Autism bus will be visiting The Birches in Brigg.
The specially designed dementia bus has an area designed to mimic an archetypal home space. The attendees are then given specialist equipment to wear which will limit their senses, simulating the challenges faced by people who live with dementia. They will then be asked to perform a series of simple tasks such as making a bed or making a cup of tea. This will help people understand the fear and frustrations that people with dementia feel every day.
The Autism Experience works in a similar way with specialist equipment used to mimic what sensory overload can be like for someone living on the autistic spectrum.
HICA Group CEO Terry Peel said: “These immersive experiences are such an important tool in understanding how someone with a dementia or autism feels in their day-to-day life and helps us understand what we can all do to make their lives easier.”
After the experience is over attendees will then go to a room in the home to discuss and reflect on their experience.
As soon as The HICA Group announced their plans to bring the bus to Hull their local trade partners were quick to offer their help.
Terry added, “We would like to thank our partners Sylvester Keal and N.E.C for their sponsorship of these events. It is amazing how they are helping us raise community awareness of these conditions”.
