Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn—unidentifiable in green sunglasses with darkened lenses, blue headphones around his ears, and black gloves—sat in a sunlit room at The Residence at Cedar Dell. The garbed Quinn dug through a yellow purse for keys, as instructed by Cedar Dell’s Reflections Director Nicole Britland.

The “walk in their shoes” simulation not only gives attendees insight to the struggles of Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and old age, but allows participants to see the level of patience and energy demanded of caretakers, said Cedar Dell's Senior Executive Director Lindsay Gordan.

Attendees took turns trying the simulation and searching through the bag as Britland asked for flowers, cards, glasses, or a beaded necklace.

“I had trouble seeing at first. Then seeing, hearing, and feeling,” said Quinn. “It was not easy.”

“We’re only doing sensory here. We’re not doing dementia,” said Britland. “Now imagine all the confusion on top of the sensory,” she said.

Designed by LCB Senior Living’s Director of Memory Care and Community Engagement Joshua Freitas, the simulation included pointed rubber inserts to create a feeling of arthritis in your feet, thick gloves with two fingers on each hand strapped together to limit your range of motion, darkened glasses to hinder vision, and loud chatter via headphones that make focus and hearing difficult.

“I could stand the pain in my feet and hands,” said Friends of the Elderly President Maria Connor. “But it’s a state of confusion. You can’t put things together as they are.”

The hour-long event aligned with "The Longest Day," an event to raise awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association on June 20. For every attendee, Cedar Dell will be donating funds to the Alzheimer’s Association, although they haven’t decided on an exact amount yet. The goal is to raise over $1,600 in each of the 18 communities participating in The Longest Day.

“As much as we’re doing in the Alzheimer’s field, we still have a long way to go,” said Connor.

Town Administrator David Cressman and Dartmouth Police Chief Robert Szala also attended the event, along with several Dartmouth police officers. The Westport Council on Aging, the Dartmouth Council on Aging, Brewster Ambulance, Home Instead Senior Care, and The Oaks were also represented.