News at the Allegro

Allegro Hosts "Virtual Dementia Tour"

The Allegro at Fleming Island

March 11, 2010 — Orange Park, FL — On March 11, The Allegro is hosting an Alzheimer’s “Virtual Dementia Tour” where participants will go through an exercise that simulates the experience of having Alzheimer’s disease. The program will be facilitated by Jan Nelson of the Center for Courageous Aging. Participants will experience the effects of Dementia and understand the challenges faced by those living with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Learning to create a positive environment for those with Dementia can only come from attempting to walk in their shoes. Created by P.K. Beville, a specialist in Geriatrics, the Virtual Dementia Tour is a hands-on workshop designed to help individuals identify with and better understand the behaviors and needs of those with Dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Participants are given a pretest and placed in a room and asked to perform everyday tasks under conditions that simulate the effects of dementia. Immediately, dementia-like behaviors begin to surface.