Age Simulation Suit: Teaching Empathy or Ageism?

Since the 1990s, various industries have been using “age simulation suits” to demonstrate to individuals working with (e.g., healthcare) or designing things for (e.g., car safety) older adults what it is like to be older. Though, there has been a resurgence in the awareness of these suits through some recent videos on social media. The age simulation suit restricts movement and simulates sensory losses, using tight bands, thick straps, and thick padding and aims to simulate what it is like to be older. The idea here is that the people wearing these simulation suits will finally understand “what it is like to be older,” and gain empathy for older adults. I have an additional perspective to offer.

If we look at the research on these suits, we can see that the effectiveness of these suits’ ability to increase empathy in students and young health care workers (the populations studied most) is mixed, with some studies showing no increase in empathy and others showing small to moderate increases. Likely, these differences in results came from how it was used in demonstration and learning and the openness and willingness of the individuals involved. Additionally, some of the researchers reported participants felt increased negative feelings and anxiety towards getting older. This is an important piece.

The review of the research on this simulation suit also showed that the suit is not a realistic simulation of aging. I repeat- this is not a realistic simulation of aging. Frailty, slow and restricted movements, sensory loss, motor difficulties… these are not the definition of aging. They are the reality for some, for sure. But, for most? This is not their aging experience. This is a very limited, stereotypical view of aging. From this perspective, we can see that using the aging simulation suit may not only be teaching empathy. It may also be teaching ageism. It’s potentially teaching a false narrative of what it means to grow older, forcing beliefs and expectations about their patients before they even meet them.

Personally, I think we teach empathy every time we show someone how to walk through something hard. This suit? Yes, its teaching how to (literally) walk through something hard. But we wouldn’t dare do this same thing with walking through what it’s like to gain access to healthcare when you’re a low-income person of color, or when you’re a pregnant person in their 9^th month who hasn’t yet had prenatal care, or when you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. If we tried that, we would absolutely be accused of racism, bigotry, and incorrect stereotyping of marginalized groups. Because it IS racism, bigotry, and incorrect stereotyping. So, why do we not see the same for older adults?

Yes, there are benefits from simulations like this- but simulations used as examples in a larger context of lessons about diverse populations that healthcare workers will inevitably encounter. Not all hearing loss is the same, not all mobility changes are the same, and not all vision changes are the same. To create them as such is reductive at best, misinformation and ageism at worst. These simulations should be examples of what could be, rather than what is. [BB1] Examples of humanity, examples of people who need help, and examples of people who are struggling through difficult circumstances.

It's important that we understand that having empathy and increasing empathy doesn’t mean that you must have the same experience as someone else, it means that we have to open our minds to consider that fact that someone may be going through something difficult (even if it is something that would be easy for us to manage, personally), and support them in their struggle. Having the ability to do that for someone no matter their age, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, access to healthcare, income level, education, etc. is the hallmark of a good healthcare worker…and a good human… and I know that most of the individuals in healthcare are both.

Sara J. Margolin, Ph.D. is an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience with expertise in cognitive aging. Her research has appeared in journals such as Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, Experimental Aging Research, and Educational Gerontology, and she has recently published a textbook on the psychology of aging. Her writing has also appeared in the Buffalo News, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, and the Albany Times Union; and she has appeared on podcasts such as Aging Matters— all discussing various aspects of the aging process. You can find her on Instagram (@drsaramargolin) and Facebook (Sara Margolin) providing insight into the positive aspects of aging every day.

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[BB1] Also, not all hearing loss is the same, not all loss of sight is the same. So might these simulators be a little reductive too? If so, that might be a point to add in.