Inside the Virtual Dementia Tour: Why Dementia Awareness Training Matters

This week, members of the Braeburn Care team had the opportunity to take part in the Virtual Dementia Tour experience hosted by Rotherfield St Martin (RSM), providing valuable insight into what living with dementia can feel like on a daily basis.

The experience formed part of wider conversations around dementia awareness, understanding and improving dementia care support within our local communities.

At Braeburn Care, we believe dementia awareness training is incredibly important in helping care professionals, families and communities better understand the challenges individuals living with dementia may face – not just physically, but emotionally and psychologically too.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to RSM for inviting our team to take part and for continuing to strengthen such positive and meaningful working partnerships within the local community.

What Is the Virtual Dementia Tour?

The Virtual Dementia Tour, created by Training 2 CARE, is designed to simulate some of the sensory and environmental challenges experienced by individuals living with dementia.

Participants experience altered senses, confusion and environmental barriers which can make even simple daily tasks feel overwhelming and distressing.

The aim is not to replicate dementia itself, but to encourage greater empathy, understanding and awareness around the lived experience of those affected by memory-related conditions.

For many of our team, the experience was both powerful and thought-provoking.

Why Dementia Awareness Training Matters

Dementia remains the UK’s biggest killer, affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals and families across the country.

As dementia diagnoses continue to rise, dementia awareness training and education are becoming increasingly important across both health and social care sectors.

Experiences such as the Virtual Dementia Tour help reinforce:

• The importance of patience and reassurance
• Understanding sensory challenges
• Adapting environments and communication
• Supporting emotional wellbeing
• Delivering truly person-centred dementia care

Often, behaviours associated with dementia are misunderstood. Experiences like this encourage professionals to consider how confusion, anxiety or frustration may feel from the individual’s perspective rather than simply observing outward behaviours.

Reflecting on the Experience

One of the most valuable aspects of the session was the opportunity for reflection afterwards.

The experience encouraged conversations around:

• How individuals living with dementia may experience the world differently
• The emotional impact of confusion and sensory overload
• The importance of compassionate communication
• Small adjustments that can improve wellbeing and reassurance

At Braeburn Care, person-centred dementia care remains at the heart of the support we provide. Understanding the lived experience behind a diagnosis is an important part of delivering meaningful care that focuses on dignity, empathy and emotional reassurance.

Strengthening Community Partnerships

We are incredibly grateful to RSM for inviting our team to take part in such an impactful experience.

Partnerships and community collaboration play an important role in strengthening local dementia support and creating opportunities for shared learning and awareness.

It has been fantastic to continue building our relationship with RSM through community-focused initiatives and conversations around improving support for individuals and families affected by dementia.

Working together in this way helps create stronger, more informed and more compassionate local support networks.

Supporting Individuals Living With Dementia

At Braeburn Care, we support individuals living with dementia across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Crowborough and surrounding areas through compassionate, tailored home care services.

Our dementia care support may include:

• Companionship care
• Personal care
• Medication support
• Meal preparatiol
• Emotional reassurance
• Live-in care
• Support maintaining routines and independence

We understand that every individual’s journey with dementia is different, which is why all care is tailored around personal preferences, routines and wellbeing goals.

Continuing the Conversation Around Dementia

Experiences such as the Virtual Dementia Tour are an important reminder that dementia care is about far more than practical support alone.

It is about:

• Understanding
• Empathy
• Patience
• Communication
• Preserving dignity and independence wherever possible

As conversations around dementia awareness continue to grow, we remain committed to learning, developing and strengthening the support we provide to both individuals living with dementia and the families supporting them.

Once again, thank you to RSM and Training 2 CARE for creating such a powerful and valuable experience for our team.

If you would like to learn more about Braeburn Care’s dementia support services across West Kent and East Sussex, our team is always here for a confidential, no-obligation conversation;