What if putting on a coat, standing up from a chair or picking up a sock suddenly became difficult? Visitors to the Day of Mutual Help, held as part of the Social Services Fair organised by Prague 1, had a chance to experience exactly that. The ageing suit was presented by Prof. Olga Štěpánková and Ondřej Holba from CIIRC CTU, whose work is part of the CLARA research community. By simulating some of the physical limitations associated with ageing, the suit gave visitors a hands-on way to experience how everyday movements can change with age.
Rather than simply talking about the challenges that can come with older age, the aging suit allows people to experience some of them for themselves. Visitors could choose which limitations they wanted to simulate, including back pain, reduced strength, stiff joints, a stooped posture (kyphosis) and different types of visual impairment.
Once equipped with the selected limitations, they were asked to carry out tasks that would normally seem completely routine. They put on a coat and fastened its buttons. They sat down on a low stool and got back up again. They picked up a sock that had fallen to the floor while they were carrying laundry. At a table, they could also try fine motor tasks while wearing special gloves designed to simulate hand tremor. These simple activities quickly became much more demanding.
When everyday tasks stop being easy
The reactions from visitors were strikingly similar. Many were surprised by how intense even relatively mild limitations could feel, and by how much they could affect movements that are usually performed without a second thought. The experience also prompted conversations that went beyond the individual tasks. Some visitors spoke about being more motivated to focus on prevention and physical activity. Others highlighted the importance of listening more carefully to older people and understanding the practical difficulties they may face in everyday life. That is one of the strengths of hands-on simulation - it can turn an abstract idea into something immediately understandable.
Bringing the experience closer to everyday life
The Day of Mutual Help brought together organisations and initiatives focused on social services and support. The aging suit added a practical, experiential element to the programme, inviting visitors to temporarily see everyday activities from a different perspective. For CIIRC CTU, it was also an opportunity to demonstrate how research and technology can contribute to a better understanding of the challenges associated with ageing - not through a lecture, but through an experience that visitors could feel themselves. And sometimes, experiencing how difficult it is to fasten a button or stand up from a chair is enough to look at those everyday actions differently.
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Photos by Ondřej Holba
