A HIGH-tech simulation suit has been donated to Kidderminster Hospital to enable staff to better understand how patients cope with ageing.

The £3,000 ageing suit was donated to Kidderminster's simulation ward, which opened in July, to be used for staff training across Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

It was donated by the hospital's League of Friends, which supports patients and staff by raising funds to maintain and extend services.

The simulation suit enables hospital staff to experience the physical effects of getting older, including restricted joint movement, hand tremoring, failing eyesight and hearing loss.

It can also mimic the impacts of stroke, such as one-sided paralysis, and comes with a range of attachments and weights to imitate the conditions that can lead to changes in the way older people walk or stand.

Gina Carter, the trust's acting lead for dementia, said: "We often take it for granted that we can get in and out of bed and get up from chairs and we don’t always appreciate that as we get older our muscle tone isn’t as good and what used to be easy takes a lot more energy.

“Putting on the suit means people can feel what it might actually be like to be older and frail and they are able to experience the kind of challenges some people face when just walking or standing.”