Narrabri Community Hosts Dementia Awareness Training Using Virtual Reality

Recent initiatives and research are deepening understanding of dementia beyond memory loss, emphasizing sensory changes, emotional impacts, and community support. A free training session in Narrabri educated business owners about dementia and included a virtual reality simulation to foster empathy, highlighting the importance of creating supportive environments for people living with dementia and their families. Researchers are now recognizing sensory perception changes, such as altered vision and hearing, as critical symptoms that often precede diagnosis and are underappreciated in current care models. Emotional challenges are significant, with studies identifying 'dementia relationship dissonance' to describe the pain caregivers feel when loved ones become emotionally unresponsive, and others revealing that people with dementia themselves experience complex grief related to their diagnosis and anticipated losses. Artistic efforts like the "Our Long Goodbye" exhibition use personal storytelling and visual archives to communicate the emotional realities of dementia and encourage dialogue between carers and those affected. Together, these perspectives underscore the need for holistic approaches that address both the sensory and emotional dimensions of dementia while fostering compassionate, inclusive communities.