KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It is the only disease in the 10 leading causes of deaths in the U.S. that can’t be cured, slowed down or prevented. And the number of people impacted by dementia is expected to rise significantly over the next few years.
41 Action News joined others by participating in what’s called a Virtual Dementia Tour. It gives participants a firsthand account of what life is like for people living with Alzheimer’s. It lasts for 8 minutes but feels longer at times.
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The tour was first only given to caregivers of dementia patients. Now it’s opened to loved ones and those with a close connection to the disease.
People like Karen Haber, whose mother is living with dementia.
“As a family member going through it, it’s quite a roller coaster," said Haber. "There are a lot of ups and even more downs.”
Tanner Wolf and Amber Alexander both work in healthcare. Each are hoping to learn more about what it is like to live with dementia.
41 Action News Anchor Kevin Holmes and photojournalist Aubrey Morse also participated in the Virtual Dementia Tour. Each member of the group was given inhibitors that limited mobility, vision, hearing, sense of feel, and much more. Each member of the group was also given five simple tasks: things like grabbing a purse or fixing a clock. Of the 25 possible completed tasks, the group successfully completed just 3.
“The toughest part about my 8-minute ordeal is that I felt like a failure,” Alexander said.
Marsha Rufener with Wexford Place said it’s important to remember some of those feeling shared by actual dementia patients.
“That was 8 minutes that you all spent. People with dementia live with this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," said Rufener.
After taking the tour, many of the group members said patience is the first thing that comes to mind. For many, the second is patience.
Monthly costs exceed $5,000 per patient in Missouri and $6,600 in Kansas. In 2017, Alzheimer’s cost our country $259 billion. By 2050, that number is expected to exceed $1 trillion.
