I don't want to grow old.

Background, aim and relevance
A previous simulation-based education project showed that by acting as the patient in simulation activities, attention was brought to the student`s own body and resulted in a sensatory expression, tacit knowledge and enhanced theory-practice integration.

Methods
Through participant observation, we explored students' understanding of the aging process and how they learn wearing an old age simulation suit. The students engaged in everyday life activities such as eating, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed. The suit enables students to experience the inconveniences of mus-culoskeletal, visual and auditory changes.
Five two-hours' workshops were conducted with 60 students in total. The workshops consisted of an initial briefing, scenario performance, debriefing and final evaluation.

(Preliminary) Results
Themes from analysis:
- Concerns of growing old
- Bodily experiences of movement reduction and in the different senses
- Simulation as an eye-opener to new understandings of old age
- Cognitive and bodily experiences of the time perspective
- Bodily-kinesthetic learning

Conclusions
Our results indicate that old age simulation enhanced learning as a result of combined physical and cognitive activities receiving information from all the senses and emotional involvement. The study suggests bodily ac-tivity in simulation enhance learning.