Introducing the Empathy Suit – a suit made up of 13 components which work to inhibit mobility, motor skills, vision and hearing – giving the wearer a unique sense of how it may feel to be an older person living with dementia – literally “putting them in the shoes,” of the people they support.
Attendees take it in turns to try on the suit and are set simple tasks such as moving objects on a table and walking from a to b. The impact is phenomenal. “Wearing the Empathy Suit made me feel disorientated, heavy, tired and confused – even my voice sounded different. It has really shown me how to change my approach – give our residents more time, and understanding how fearful they must feel.” Others describe these workshops as “very powerful. All staff working in care homes need to try this to really understand how old age can feel.”
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, attendees will:
- Have a deeper understanding of Dementia and age related physical impairment
- Understand every day challenges for people living with dementia
- Develop their communication skills
- Understand dementia and environmental challenges
- Have an experiential understanding of the need for empathy for the people they support
- Be able to reflect and incorporate this into best practice in your care setting
This Full Day Training course is £600 and will be broken up into two-hour slots with groups of four. We also offer a person-centred bespoke course for £800, with prior consultation to make it specific to your organisation.
For more information or to book training please contact us at info@aliveactivities.org or call us on 0117 377 4756.