Things are hopping at the Dementia Simulation House.

In an effort to increase empathy for those living with dementia, we gear people up to experience the condition while we give them a few household tasks to accomplish.

This year alone we have done more than 165 group simulations with a total of almost 800 participants.

We are open to the public. Community members. Students. Caregivers. Professionals. Everybody.

People often make the assumption that most of the professionals who come to the house are in healthcare. However, we work with professionals in various fields–here’s a very short list:

Electricians, election officials, mental health counselors, heating/cooling professionals, hairstylists, social workers, interior designers, human resource professionals, pastors, nuns, theater students, fundraising professionals, engineers, insurance agents, bank tellers, city employees, dental hygienists, K-12 teachers, librarians…and so on.

Do health care workers need more education on dementia? Absolutely.

But those in other fields also need dementia education.

Because people with dementia don’t only have health care needs. They are complete and complex individuals, just like the rest of us.

They have the same needs as other people….to get their hair cut, to have their teeth cleaned, to live in homes that are updated and work for them, to vote (if they so choose), to go to social events, to be supported and to have their families supported.

4/5 people with dementia do NOT live in facilities. They live alone, with their partners, or with family/friends. Some are housing-challenged and live on the streets or rotate between the couches of friends.

We greatly overestimate the percentage of those living with dementia who are in nursing homes or memory care. Keep in mind that dementia can be a slow moving beast. Perhaps someone has dementia the last 10 years of their life. It is common that they may spend the final year or couple of years in a facility–but quite a bit of that journey occurs in their own home.

When we assume that most people with dementia are living in a nursing home, we forget the need to educate people in our community about dementia. And we shortchange those who have dementia and their families.

In a month or so, we will be training the 1st restaurant on our community main street to be Dementia Friendly. We’ve made four hair salons and several banks/credit unions in our community Dementia Friendly. Currently, we have 5 faith-based local communities who have done our Dementia Friendly training. And, we have recently connected with our county auditor’s office about ways to make voting more accessible and less stressful for those with dementia.

Our favorite story is about a group of electrical contractors who found us a while back. They wanted to do the simulation, and we signed them up. Upon arrival, we asked them why they wanted to participate.

They had multiple stories of startling people who had just invited them into their homes to do work. Customers who thought they were their sons or nephews–or thought they were intruders. Confused husbands who accused them of having affairs with their wives. Contractors from other companies who appeared to be taking advantage of people financially.

We liked these guys right away. And signed them up to become a Dementia Friendly business.

Not that long ago, a woman came to do the simulation. We asked her why she was there.

She told us some electricians had been doing some work in her house. They noticed some stuff about her husband and had a conversation with her. And, yes, the electricians told her that she needed to look us up and come for a visit.

That’s community.

And we are proud to be a part of change in our community.

You can learn more here: https://csbs.uni.edu/family-aging-counseling/centers-initiatives/dementia-simulation-house