- By altering sight, sound and touch, the “dementia simulation house” at the University of Northern Iowa sends people into that world with a higher purpose.
- Professor Elaine Eshbaugh wants the simulation to attract more than people who work in assisted living facilities.
- Entering the house, participants are asked to accomplish activities they would encounter in everyday life.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Five minutes is plenty of time for those trying out what it’s like to live with dementia.
Once-familiar carpeted hallways transform into a maze with no solution. Locating a coffee cup, feather duster or book lying about the house feels cumbersome; remembering what you planned to do with those items is worse.