Technology helps CT caregivers see how Alzheimer’s patients live. It will be offered to the public.

Hartford Courant – Wednesday, March 18, 2026
By Pamela McLoughlin

Have you ever wondered how an Alzheimer’s patient literally views the world and what they experience in the confusion?

Now, families and caregivers can have the experience through special goggles obtained by the award-winning Assisted Living Home Care Services.

The number of dementia and Alzheimer’s cases in seniors has risen to over 80,000 in Connecticut as of early 2026, according to state data.

“Most individuals with the disease are 65 and older. After age 65, the risk of Alzheimer’s doubles every five years. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly one-third. Other risk factors include family history and genetics,” according to state data and reports.

While much of the disease associated with aging is still misunderstood, the family-owned Assisted Living Home Care Services company hopes to clear some of the confusion by offering a new specialized simulation training for its employees, client families and general public.

Assisted Living Home Care Services in Cheshire, Westport and Woodstock is first homecare agency in Connecticut to become a certified Dementia Live? Provider through the AGE-u-cate Training Institute, the company said.

The Dementia Live? program is a new tool being used as there is a growing population of direct care staff, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, and college and university students in the field and giving care, according to the company.

“Our management team attended this immersive training, which consisted of both classroom instruction and virtual reality-style sessions, and after passing a rigorous exam, we earned the certification,” said Mario D’Aquila, chief operating officer of Assisted Living Home Care Services. “This is a huge honor for our company, and we are thrilled to offer the unique Dementia Live? experience immediately to our caregivers and subsequently to families across Connecticut.”

D’Aquila said Dementia Live? is a program designed by a team of dementia, sensitivity, awareness, and professional development experts.

How it works

The program uses specialized VR-like gear, in a safe, experiential setting, and the the training is designed to give participants a real-life simulation of what it feels like to live with dementia. For example, views in the googles are blurred to replicate poor eyesight and macular degeneration often experienced by the elderly, gloves are worn as a lot of seniors have tactile sensory issues and loud music is pumped through headphones to illustrate the confusing thoughts often pervading older minds.

Put in the challenging circumstances, program participants are then asked to complete seven simple tasks within seven minutes. D’Aquila notes that the average participant is only able to complete one of the tasks.

“Participants truly gain greater awareness and understanding of the constant 24/7 struggles affecting people with dementia, which leads to more sensitive care partnering,” D’Aquila said. “This specialized enhancement will only strengthen the knowledge, compassion and skillset of our caregivers which already undergo memory care training when hired.”

Assisted Living Home Care Services will in coming months train its entire management team and caregiver staff with the Dementia Live? experience. Once all leadership and employees have completed the program, the company will then offer the simulation to client families and the overall Connecticut community, according to the company.

In Connecticut, family and friends are deeply in involved, providing an estimated $2.5 billion in unpaid care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a state report.

“We are at the crossroads of understanding aging and dementia; this understanding is not an option but a necessity for every member of our society,” said Pam Brandon, president and founder of the AGE-u-cate Training Institute. “It is a worldwide phenomenon affecting every level of our society and we must equip those who are caring for and serving our aging population to better understand their challenges since we are living in a fast-aging world.”

Assisted Living Home Care Services leaders said the company already trains its caregivers to provide services for seniors with memory difficulties, including a special dementia care certification program, which supervisors take, an initial orientation that includes two hours of training specifically tailored to clients with memory impairment, as well as offering frequent ongoing in-services training.

Organizations that support patients and families report that Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases and that it is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over several years. While people with Alzheimer’s can live four to eight years after diagnosis there are people who can live as long as 20 years, depending on many factors, the organizations report.

For more information on the Dementia Live? experiential training, visit: www.assistedlivingct.com.

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