- December 18, 2025
I like to think of myself as someone who, when given a task, can stay focused and get the job done with little to no difficulty.
Thursday evening was a different story.
My vision was blurred, my hands felt useless and the voices around me were loud and making my head hurt. Even my feet were irritating me, the sensations of pins and needles distracting me with each step. I was trying to fold laundry but stopped, trying to remember another task I had.
I shuffled over to the bedroom nightstand and tried changing the time on the clock. I gave up and headed to the dresser and began shoving coins in a small coin purse. Were they all supposed to go in? I couldn't remember.
I shifted my attention to a dresser and stared at the medicine bottles laid out in front of me. I wasn't going to get anything done.
A hand tapped me on the shoulder.
Shonnette Bennett, registered nurse and account executive for Family Home Health Services, smiled back at me. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was done. Quickly, I peeled off the large gloves that had made it almost impossible to pick up the pennies. Next to go were the headphones that had been blasting what sounded like a distorted conversation in my ears.
I removed the glasses that gave me the sensation I had cataracts, or was going cross eyed.
Finally, I took off the shoe inserts that had little raised bumps that gave the sensation of peripheral neuropathy, which can cause numbness and pain in the feet and hands.
I'd been participating in a virtual dementia tour put on by Family Home Health Services at Grace Manor Assisted Living. The sensory simulation training was a way for people to have a better understanding of what individuals can experience with dementia and memory loss.
Once I'd been fitted with all of the devices to alter my senses I was given several different tasks to complete in a small bedroom in a four minute time period. I wasn't given any help and, with the visual and auditory distractions, I quickly forgot key parts of what I was supposed to be doing.
Suddenly, a simple chore, like folding a blanket, took incredible effort. When my four minutes were up, I hadn't been able to fully complete even one task. It was a little disheartening, especially for someone who's used to multitasking.
That day, there were also other people coming in to participate in the training, people who had a loved one, or were taking care of someone, with dementia. Christy Kenney, regional director of sales with Family Home Health Services, told me that it was especially important for caretakers to go through this experience in order to have a better understanding of what a person with dementia is going through.
And while I was able to take off the glasses, remove the inserts, the headphones, the gloves, there are many people who can't. This is their life. They don't get to hurry around their homes ticking off chores in a matter of minutes or picking up multiple items without thinking twice.
What does this mean for those of us not suffering from the effects of dementia or memory loss? I think it's different for everyone. Maybe it means being more patient with someone trying to get ready. It could mean spending time volunteering at an assisted living facility.
For me, it was a way have more appreciation for what I can do and many times take for granted. Sometimes all it takes is a four minute reality check.
A second virtual dementia tour will be held for the public on May 10. For more information email [email protected].
