Fredericton support group helps shine light on what it’s like for people living with dementia

Friends and family members of people living with dementia are better understanding the disease through a support group in Fredericton.

The support group is open to the public and aims to provide insight into the complexities of Alzheimer’s and dementia so people can better understand some of the challenges encountered by those experiencing physical, sensory and cognitive impairment.

Organizers say the “virtual dementia tour” was also meant to help shine a light on how participants interact with their loved ones and show them how dementia affects an individual’s ability to complete everyday tasks, such as folding laundry or putting away dishes.

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Participant, Gordie Tuttle, knows someone who is experiencing dementia and says taking part in the group was an “eye opener.”

“It was strange.  One of the things they asked me to do was look for an apple crispy recipe in one of the cooking books, and there were several cooking books and I couldn’t see because the glasses I had on were screwing everything,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It was strange.  One of the things they asked me to do was look for an apple crispy recipe in one of the cooking books, and there were several cooking books and I couldn't see because the glasses I had on were screwing everything," he said.

Participants were asked to complete a list of tasks while wearing dark glasses to represent the declining and distorted vision associated with dementia.

Organizers also placed corn kernels in participants’ shoes to replicate the peripheral nerve damage that causes numbness and prickling sensations in the feet and toes.

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To demonstrate the limitations associated with various types of dementia, participants also attempted to complete the assigned tasks wearing gloves with their fingers taped together.

Cotton pads were also put in participants’ ears, to replicate hearing impairment — all while white noise from radio static filled the room.

Parkland Fredericton lifestyle consultant Penny Pacey says that everyday tasks become complicated because of the confusion people with dementia experience.

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“Most people think that Alzheimer’s and dementia is simple memory loss and they don’t understand that it’s actually much more comprehensive than that,” Pacey said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Most people think that Alzheimer's and dementia is simple memory loss and they don't understand that it's actually much more comprehensive than that," Pacey said.

It’s a very difficult challenge and frustrating thing to experience and so we’re trying to give them a sense of what that’s really like.”