Feel like a 75-year-old
Researchers from the Berlin Evangelical Center for Geriatrics have developed a suit with which future doctors will immerse themselves in the world of old age in order to better understand the needs of a rapidly growing population of elderly people.
Weighing about 10 kilograms, the suit consists of ear pads that muffle hearing, impair vision and make it difficult to distinguish the colors of the yellow viewing glass, prevent the flexion of the joints of the elbow and knee shields, squeezing the chest of the vest and thick gloves.
As an exercise, a person wearing a suit is offered to drop a coin on the floor and then pick it up. An attempt to do this reveals many of the charms of old age: difficulty bending, difficulty keeping balance, heaviness in the head and dizziness, and, finally, the awkwardness of fingers that can not grab a naughty coin in any way.
The developers of the costume believe that it is the best way to give young people the real feelings experienced by people aged 75 and older. They hope that understanding the world of the elderly will arouse medical students' interest in geriatrics. From a practical point of view, training in an "old man" suit will teach doctors to talk more loudly and clearly with age-related patients, as well as better understand the difficulties such patients face in everyday life.
Specialists from the Meyer-Hentschel Institute based in Saarbrücken also participated in the development of the suit, which supports research in the field of so-called products for the elderly designed to improve the quality of life of people over the age of 60. The institute's researchers use the suit to develop special household appliances and kitchen accessories.
They believe that society has done too little to prepare for the demographic "time bomb", the problem of which is more acute in Germany than anywhere else except Japan and Monaco. It is expected that more than 26% of the German population will cross the 65-year mark by 2030.
Previously, a similar development – the "mammy tammy" costume (mom's tummy, from the English "Mommy Tummy") – was offered to men in order to experience the delights of the last month of pregnancy.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to The Guardian: Suit lets medical students experience symptoms of old age.
11.07.2012