Suddenly old – a lasting change in perspective

It is advertised as simulating ageing by a full 40 years, but what is it really like? I, Ann-Cathrin Ruatti, team assistant at SD&C, tried it out and was both amazed and shocked.

There I sat on a chair, with more and more additional weights, cuffs and aids for age simulation being attached to me and my overalls. The suit consists of the components mentioned above, as well as gloves, headphones with integrated tinnitus, a neck brace and glasses that impair up to 50 per cent of vision. The first task is typically to put your own shoes back on. This is, as I can say, no easy task. For the first time, I was able to understand how limited a large part of our society is. I couldn’t lean forward properly or see my shoelaces clearly, let alone tie them.

I underestimated the simulation, that’s clear. The next task was to stand up, walk a few metres and climb a flight of stairs. What hindered me most was the weight on my whole body, which simulated the weakness of older people. In addition, my limited vision made it difficult to orientate myself, as the steps were hard to see. That’s why Susanne Rinker-Schöffel, Managing Director of SD&C, accompanied me upstairs. After the strenuous climb to the first floor, I was asked to read aloud a printed text on the notice board, but I was unable to do so. I simply couldn’t make out the text. We then carefully descended the stairs and returned to Dr Roland Schoeffel, founder of SD&C and inventor of the Senior Suits.

He gave me the task of paying in an imaginary shop with coins from a purse he had brought with him. However, due to my tactile and visual limitations, it was almost impossible for me to find the right coins. One thing is clear: anyone who has experienced this kind of simulation will no longer stand impatiently at the checkout when a pensioner takes a little longer to pay.

This experience made me realise once again how important sport and exercise are for us humans. We all have the opportunity to delay this physical condition, and after this intense experience with SD&C’s ‘Senior Suit Beta’, I am more than motivated to keep my body fit.

Ann-Cathrin Ruatti, Team Assistant at SD&C, and Susanne Rinker-Schoeffel, Managing Director of SD&C