Informal care organised an ‘Experience afternoon’ for informal carers on 23 January 2020 at community centre De Slotjes in Etten-Leur. Informal carers caring for their loved one with dementia or other memory problems. A moment where meeting and experiencing was central. A number of informal carers had followed the Dementia & Now course. These experiential experiences dovetailed nicely with this. Awareness and different forms of learning about the experience of someone with memory problems and getting to know other forms of contact were experienced as an added value. This was possible through different methods and objects. For instance, the so-called Dementia Glasses allowed looking through the eyes of someone with dementia. In addition, the CRDL was experienced together and the Game of the Imagination was played. The Cradle The CRDL (cradle) is an interactive care tool that translates touch between people into sound. This enables new contact for people who have difficulties with communication and social interaction - such as people suffering from dementia, autism or intellectual disabilities - and their environment. The CRDL helps break people's isolation when normal conversation is no longer possible. The tool enables contact in which users can participate equally, regardless of their cognitive abilities. Each participant has equal opportunities to initiate the contact and influence the interaction. Source: : https://crdlt.com/crdl A participant's experience “I found the Cradle to be a fantastic tool to use. for people with dementia who are already at an advanced stage. We had seen a video about it during the course “Dementia, and now”, but that outweighed the experience of the tool itself. “ Dementia glasses Mr Wiebe Cnossen, from the Into D'mentia foundation, guided the experience through the so-called Dementia Glasses. The Dementia Glasses is a VR simulation training. The glasses consist of a 360-degree simulation film on Virtual Reality glasses and an online course (e-learning). The film lets you step into the shoes of someone with dementia. It allows you to experience what people with dementia encounter in everyday situations and how the environment reacts to them. The accompanying e-learning provides information and exercises, adding depth to the film. The aim of the Dementia Glasses is to increase understanding of the loved one with dementia. Source: https://intodmentia.nl/vr-bril/ For more information, please contact; T: 06-25005928 M: wiebe.cnossen@intodmentia.nl A participant's experience

• I found the glasses a great experience and therefore can understand a little bit about my wife's mind essentially, she is unfortunately much further along than the gentleman it was about but still it gave me added value.

• I found the VR glasses so special. Through those glasses, I was able to experience these people's thinking . How terribly difficult it is not to be able to stop thinking. It keeps on grinding and not a minute of peace! As a result, I can better understand the anger that comes out now and then, and thus be or become more patient. They can't help themselves, unfortunately!

The game of imagination The Game of Imagination starts from the world of dementia. Using cards with clear images, people learn to make new connections and tell light-hearted stories. This gives oxygen to daily conversations and increases the quality of life. Researcher Kasper Bormans (KU Leuven) found out that people with dementia are often still playful, humorous and able to think and associate out-of-the-box. The box contains 165 imagination cards and an inspirational booklet. Source: http://www.werkenmetvisualisaties.be/het-spel-van-de-verbeelding/ A participant's experience

• I found the experience afternoon very interesting. The games, to encourage people with dementia to get out of their own little world, make me very happy to experience this. Nice to see so many good things being thought out.

Want to know more about dementia? You are welcome to the monthly Etten-Leur Alzheimer's Café, Slotjesveld 15 Etten-Leur. The main focus is to ‘be a warm blanket’ for people dealing with dementia. We also aim to provide information on various topics or aspects of dementia. See: https://www.alzheimer-nederland.nl/regios/breda-en-omstreken Within the library Theek 5, you can visit the ‘Dementia Library’. This is a special corner full of books, games and goodies around the theme of dementia. For questions about informal care, you can contact us every morning from 9.00-12.00 via; T 0162-748600 E-mail: mantelzorg.etten-leur@surplus.nl