Dementia patients in Netherlands are not locked away in nursing homes and hospitals like many elderly patients in the U.S. People with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease live in a town that has been specially created to accommodate their needs.
Hogeweyk, a town outside Amsterdam, sponsored by government-funded company, consists of 150 residents who live in 23 homes and stretches over 3 acres. They have access to a supermarket, cafe, hardware store, salon, restaurant and theatre. Not to mention dedicated therapy, outpatient care facilities, as well as caregivers that help them with housework.
“Residents are cared for by 250 full- and part-time geriatric nurses and specialists, who wander the town and hold a myriad of occupations in the village, like cashiers, grocery-store attendees, and post-office clerks. Finances are often one of the trickier life skills for dementia or Alzheimer’s patients to retain, which is why Hogewey takes it out of the equation; everything is included with the family’s payment plan, and there is no currency exchanged within the confines of the village.”
Hogeweyk supermarket
The plan of the town
The design of the homes is very homely and classy
The elderly are being cared for by professional staff that also helps with housework
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