Bluebird Care launches interactive course to help care workers understand older people's needs

Two Bluebird Care home care branches based in Cambridgeshire have launched a ‘Welcome to my World’ course which includes the use of an age simulation suit allowing care workers to understand the “different conditions” older people live with on a day-to-day basis.

Bluebird Care Bluebird Care Newmarket & Fenland and Bluebird Care Bluebird Care Cambridge, South Cambs & Huntingdonshire have created a specialist care zone which includes the use of a GERT suit, short for gerontology which is made by a German company.

The suit is comprised of weighted Velcro components that attach to the wearer's chest, arms, hands and legs. It also comes with a set of hearing loss-inducing headphones, a neck brace and a pair of goggles to simulate vision impairment. Other age-related impairments that the suit helps care workers experience include opacity of the eye lens, narrowing of the visual field, head mobility restrictions and joint stiffness.

Hannah Mayes, a care supervisor at Bluebird Care Newmarket, said: “The GERT suit is so helpful for us to use and taught me a lot about the different conditions our customers live with.”

Bethany Wilson, care supervisor, said: “I took part in the new ‘Welcome to My World’ course and it was a real eye-opener for all the team involved. We got to experience exactly what our customers are dealing with on a daily basis, by using the GERT equipment.”

’It gave a brilliant insight into how I can change my approach to care’

The Welcome to my World course also includes real life living and bedroom areas, to replicate the realistic experience of care assistants working in customers’ homes. Care workers can practice having to operate specialist equipment under typical household restraints that are endured regularly on customer visits.

This real life scenario enables care workers, family members and local healthcare professionals the opportunity to experience and undertake the difficulties experienced by customers on a daily basis.

Ms Mayes said: “The ‘Welcome to My World’ course gave a real feeling of what some of our customers have to deal with in their day-to-day life. It gave a brilliant insight into how I can change my approach to care for the customers and have more empathy for them.”

Both courses are now open and will directly benefit those customers being cared for in the comfort of their own home.

“Friends and relatives of anyone with dementia, visual, hearing or mobility impairments should take part in this course, to experience the struggles their loved ones are going through every day and how we can better their quality of life for them,” added Ms Wilson.

Melanie West, care supervisor at Bluebird Care really enjoyed being part of the new course. She said: “It is an excellent training tool, not only for experienced care assistants but for new colleagues coming into Bluebird Care Newmarket & Fenland and Bluebird Care Cambridge. It gives you a very real insight into how our customers will be experiencing life with limited abilities.

“It also offers a deeper understanding with how they cope with life, emotionally, physically and mentally and how this is also detrimental to their spiritual wellbeing.”

click here for more details or to contact Bluebird Care Newmarket & Fenland