EDIE
Building empathy by allowing people to experience dementia through their own eyes.
Dementia is known for memory loss, but there are many other symptoms that are often neglected.
An estimated 1.2 million people are involved in the care of over 400,000 Australians living with dementia. With a majority of sufferers still living within their local communities, they are often cared for by family members or other loved ones.
However, many carers are unaware of the extent to which dementia can affect a person’s cognitive functions and perception. Dark floor mats may appear as holes. A busy pattern might have the illusion of moving, and even looking, like a swarm of insects.These symptoms can be difficult to understand for carers who don’t experience these illusions themselves, and can lead to the person with dementia not receiving the care they require.
“Without a doubt, it was for three and a half minutes, some of the most shocking, dystopian, experience that I could not have imagined. But it puts me in the shoes of someone living in dementia.” Hon Bill Shorten, MP