(Yonhap Feature) 'Aging simulation' raises awareness for the elderly

By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- Huffing and puffing filled a brightly lit modern room
on a Saturday morning as a group of 15 people clad themselves in special outfits.
All looked physically encumbered with two sets of sandbags, each weighing up to 2
kilograms, strapped around their wrists and ankles.
They each wore a one-sided vest with a solid board inserted in the back, making
it difficult for them to bend their upper torsos. The participants fought to
stand upright as the heavy vests weighed on their shoulders. Tight bands were
wrapped around their arms and legs, making it difficult to bend their joints.
What may at first seem like a hard-core training session for special armed forces
is actually part of a two-hour program that offers a first-hand experience of
life as a senior citizen.
The Aging Simulation Center, located in Yongsan, central Seoul, is one of a
handful of nonprofit organizations that seeks to raise awareness of how the
elderly live through the hands-on program. Several universities and social
welfare centers across the nation run similar courses, including a 3-D simulation
of Alzheimer's disease, to better counter the country's rapid pace of aging. More
than 20,000 people have taken part in the Seoul-based center's program since it
was launched in 2006.
The program is a way to deal with growing concerns in South Korea about its
rapidly aging population. According to government data, more than one out of 10
South Koreans are currently age 65 or older. At the current rate, those in the
over-65 age range will account for 38.2 percent of the nation's total population
by 2050.
"You are now in the body of an elderly person in his or her 80s," said Lee
Eun-hye, a 32-year-old social worker who leads the program at the Seoul center.
The 15 newly "aged" people teetered dazedly to accomplish their first mission:
taking off their shoes. Yelps echoed around the room as stiff bodies collapsed in
an attempt to kneel down. Although it is part of the daily routine, it took
nearly 10 minutes for all the participants to end up standing, or sprawled, in
their socked feet.
All looked awkward in the special outfits. Participants were led to roam a
182-square-meter room built to resemble an average Korean house, where they were
to experience the difficulties the elderly may encounter in everyday life.
This was just the beginning of the program. They put on cotton gloves that
blunted their sense of touch. An extra pair of bands were fixed around their
knuckles, which weakened their hands' grasp. Specially designed goggles with
yellowish lenses and thick rubber rims blocked their peripheral vision.
"Your vision is set to match the symptoms of mid-stage glaucoma," Lee said.
"Although it may be uncomfortable, please try to experience what it feels like to
be old."
A slight sense of panic filled the room as darkness, created by the yellowish
lenses, sank in and caused nausea. People bumped into each other, and heads
turned frantically to glance sideways as the participants slowly walked forward.



"Can you see how simple actions, such as crouching down or bending, can be
exhausting for the elderly? It's important to remember that they have different
physical conditions. Supporting them by holding their hands or putting stools
around the house can help enormously," the guide said.
The group nodded fervently before heading to the adjacent kitchen, where they
completed common kitchen tasks: opening the washer and refrigerator, lifting pots
and pans, and checking the expiration dates of various food products.
A group of social welfare majors squinted their eyes in front of glass jars.
After a few more minutes of hard staring, they sighed, protesting that it was
difficult to make out the numbers on the cap.
"Failing eyesight is one of the first signs of aging. Many elderly people are
hospitalized for taking the wrong medicines or eating spoiled food," the guide
said. "One way to help them would be to write the information in big, bold
letters or to attach colored stickers for better distinction."
In another part of the kitchen, people were busy studying an array of utensils
displayed on a rectangular table. The utensils were different from the ones
normally used: a bowl with a rubber bottom that stays in place on a tabletop, a
spoon with an angled handle that makes eating easier and a plastic water cup with
a straw attached.
"It's difficult to hold onto a normal spoon since it's so light and slim. My
hands keep shaking. But the other type of spoon makes it easier to bring food to
my mouth since it comes with a sturdier handle," one of the participants,
46-year-old Kim Yeong-hee, said as she carefully compared the different types of
spoons.



Other sections of the house were also furnished with products designed for the
elderly, such as a bed with a toilet, a long-handled doorknob and a washbasin
that could be adjusted according to the height of the user. During the two hours,
participants could freely try out these specialized products and compare them
with normal ones.
As the program proceeded, people got exhausted from the persistent backache and
heavy pulling on their arms and legs. The fact that they could not go to the
toilet for two hours doubled the stress. Nonetheless, the group braced themselves
for the final mission: climbing up the stairs.
The goggles, which had been removed earlier to prevent nausea, were put back on
flushed faces, and the participants carefully navigated each step out of the fear
of falling down. Hands firmly grasped the railings, and eyes were glued to the
floor. Bent necks craned to get a better look at each step.
"Phew, I'm glad it's over," said another participant, You Hyoun-young, a
university freshman majoring in social welfare, "Not knowing what was around me
was more frightening and frustrating than I'd imagined. My body kept wobbling."
The program came to an end as the participants exchanged ideas and opinions on
aging in an evaluation session. A substantial part of their discussions dealt
with financial issues.
"I thought about my future as an elderly person. I should probably stay really
fit and start beefing up my savings to buy all the specially designed products,"
said Lee Seon, a social welfare major who lives with his grandparents who are in
their 90s. "I'm not sure what the country will be able to do for me."
"I now understand why specialized products are so important for the elderly,"
added You, the freshman social welfare major. "But I'm doubtful about whether
senior citizens can afford them. They seem so costly. Enhancing government-funded
medical programs, such as regular checkups, could be one solution."
According to the Seoul simulation center, its program has proven to be successful
in raising awareness about problems that elderly people face. The results of a
survey conducted in the review session show that more than half of the
participants got to better understand the issue and the need to plan for life
after retirement.
"Many students as well as social workers, healthcare officials and product
designers say direct experience really brought their understanding of the elderly
to a completely different level," said Hwang Eun-young, a 37-year-old social
worker at the center. "In order to provide more people the opportunity to
experience aging, we've also been running similar sessions at schools and
exhibitions for the past two years."
It is, however, unclear whether the center will be able to continue offering such
programs next year because of a lack of funds.
"The funds we received from sponsors are now almost gone. Our budget is quite
tight since the programs are operated free of charge," Hwang said. "Were the
center's budget more stable, we would be able to visit more schools and employ
more people to lead the program."

??? How to participate
Sessions are held daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday.
Reservations can be made via phone (02-712-6400) or online at
www.aging-simulation.or.kr. A maximum of 15 people can sign up for one session.
Other social welfare centers in major cities such as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and
Suwon offer similar programs.
mil@yna.co.kr
(END)