Birtley House in Guildford, Surrey is an extremely highly regarded nursing home caring for the elderly and those suffering with various conditions. Their dedicated staff are always looking at new ways to better understand and care for the residents of Birtley House. In September 2018 they ensited the help of the Virtual Dementia Tour to afford its staff a unique insight into the challenges faced by dementia sufferers. In the following video we get feedback from the home's care staff and professionals about their experiences with the Virtual Dementia Tour:
So, how did the Virtual Dementia Tour make the staff feel? The responses varied but were universally positive, including the experience being described as "Amazing", "Shocking" and with one user explaining how the experience had made them feel "Vulnerable". One lady described the tour as "A big eye-opener" whilst another said it was an 'in-depth look at what dementia sufferers experienced' (paraphrased). When asked to describe the experience in one word, virtually everyone asked failed to condense their Virtual Dementia Tour into a single word but everyone had nothing but praise for the experience.
We asked the carers and professional staff at Birtley House whether they would recommend the Virtual Dementia Tour to others, the responses were, again, virtually unanimous; "Definitely, I would" replied one lady before adding how it had been a "Great experience", "110%" said another.
One lady, an office worker at the home, went a step further by saying "Even if you don't work as a 'hands on' carer for people with dementia, it helps you to understand why they do the things they do", before adding how it had been "A lovely experience".
You will find a more in-depth review of the experiences of Birtley House staff at their website where Kasia reviews her time on the Virtual Dementia Tour. In addition, at the Training 2 Care website you can Find Out More about our Virtual Dementia Tour and seem more feedback and testimonials from those who have undertaken the experience as well as booking online.