Simulating Physical Decline

With my knuckles and wrists taped to reduce flexibility and induce feelings of what it may be like to suffer from joint stiffness and/or arthritis and my ears plugged to experience loss of hearing, I set out to complete a small list of tasks at home including tidying my room, folding my washing and vacuuming the floor. In another scenario a trip to the supermarket to get a few items was attempted under the same limitations. All these more often than not easy tasks I do not normally batter two eyelashes at and hardly have to think twice about. But I was quickly pulled back down to reality as I began to experience the debilitating trials of aging.

The surprising difficulty I had not predicted experiencing was the inability to focus on more than anything other than the task at hand. Thoughts about what to cook for dinner, what I was doing in the coming weekend previously auto pilot responses while achieving homely tasks, became impossible as I had to put all my focus and energy into the task I was trying to complete. In one instance a typically simple task of folding my washing something I could easily do while on the phone, watching television or talking became a task that required my undivided attention. The concentration and effort needed to refrain from dropping the clothes, turning them inside out, and putting on coat hangers was astonishingly immense. The restriction on using my fingers and wrists to what I was used to as full potential working order was somewhat frustrating, I got easily tired of each task or activity I was trying to cross of my list, trying to make the bed it became readily apparent how much we rely on our joints to aid in such 'simple' tasks. I can only imagine the frustration that the elderly must feel and experience coupled with the crippling pain that arthritis can cause. These once simple, taken for granted tasks suddenly felt hard and easy completion felt somewhat out of reach.

With my Knuckles and wrists still taped and my ears plugged with cotton balls to mimic being hard of hearing, I decided I would go down to my local supermarket to get a few things. Friend in tow I proceeded to make my way slowly around the supermarket. Maintaining a smooth flowing conversation began to prove difficult as now every few words my friend spoke I had to respond with what? Or pardon? All words I was intently trying to hear and process had become muffled and seemed distorted. I was constantly trying to strain my hearing to make sense of basic conversation not to mention having extreme difficulty plucking items from shelves and pushing the trolley. My friend quickly became irritated at the situation which in turn made me feel rather frustrated and helpless. Arriving at the checkout holding a conversation with the attendant was no easier and again I had to ask for clarification on what she had said while straining to put my goods on to the counter. All in all not a very pleasant or easy trip to get a few items!