An intrepid band of dementia carers will feel like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders this weekend as they tackle the highest peak in England and Wales to raise funds to help support their patients.

The Dementia and Delirium Outreach team based at Solihull Hospital, part of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, will take turns wearing a special Age Experience Suit which simulates how it feels to be an older person as they climb Mount Snowden on Saturday 30 May.

The suit will add an extra challenge to the already gruelling task of scaling the 3,560ft of the mountain which the team are doing to raise money to help with the care of patients with dementia at Solihull Hospital.

Talking about the state-of-the-art Age Experience Suit that the team will wear as they climb Snowdon, Senior Dementia Nurse Phil Hall said: “We use the suit in staff training – it has weights that simulate muscle weakness, joint restrictors to simulate arthritis and a special glasses headset to represent visual impairment.

“This will really put the team in the skin of an elderly person and raise awareness amongst the staff about what they may be going through.”

The climb was Phil’s idea as leader of the dementia team at Solihull Hospital, although the somewhat surprising appearance of his beloved Aston Villa in their first FA Cup Final in 15 years has meant he has had to abandon his troops on the eve of the challenge!

Phil said: “I do feel rather guilty as this was all my idea but I had not anticipated Villa getting to Wembley when we started organising the climb and I couldn’t bear to miss it! I know the rest of the guys will do me proud though and I’m delighted they are all so keen to do the challenge and raise vital funds for dementia care.

“A quarter of all patients have got dementia and this group is particularly vulnerable while they are in hospital. We are making great strides in our care of people with dementia at Solihull Hospital with numerous new innovations and ideas being introduced as we continue to look at different ways we can provide a suitable environment for patients with dementia.

“All funds raised through this challenge will go towards helping with the care of patients with this complex condition while they are in our hospital with the purchase of a set of dementia friendly crockeries to support patients to eat and drink independently whilst on the wards, together with activity equipment to make their stay less stressful.”

To support the team and donate please visit www.justgiving.com/phil-hall11. If you are interested in raising money for your local hospital, or a particular department, contact the Fundraising Team at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust on 0121 424 3838 or email: fundraising@heartofengland.nhs.uk