Dr Megan Rose Readman, lead researcher at the University of Liverpool, and fellow ARC NWC post-doctoral fellow Dr Megan Polden are developing a virtual reality tool designed to help supermarket staff and the public understand the everyday challenges faced by shoppers living with dementia. It puts users in the perspective of a person with dementia navigating a supermarket, surfacing the sensory and recognition difficulties they encounter. The work is funded by the Alzheimer's Society.
How it works
Descriptions of the tool have differed by date. In 2025, the team described a planned interactive, solution-based learning game in which supermarket staff would explore different ways to support customers with dementia. By 2026, coverage described a ten-minute video, watchable through a VR headset or on a computer, that shows some of the sensory and recognition challenges faced by dementia patients.
Partners
The project was co-developed with people living with dementia, carers and supermarket staff, alongside academic collaborators:
- University of Manchester (Drs Sarah Kate Smith and Sarah Fox)
- King's College London (Drs Olivia Luijnenburg and Annabel Farnood)
- Lancaster University (Lettie Wareing)
- NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast
Rollout and what's next
The tool is currently being trialled before any public rollout. In 2025, the team's plan was to pilot it in three schools and multiple supermarket sites across the UK to gather insights into its impact and effectiveness. Readman has said the goal is to expand the tool's use across multiple settings and workforces, to help build a more dementia-friendly society.
