In the municipality of Weesp, not far from Amsterdam, sits the village of Hogewey. At first glance, it looks like any other village, complete with shops, restaurants, and even a movie theater. There are apartments surrounding a lovely courtyard complete with rippling ponds, trickling fountains, vibrant seasonal flowers, and benches perfect for enjoying a sunny afternoon.
Photograph above by KopArt, Amstelveen
This village, however, is quite unique. Hogewey is home to 152 men and women living with severe dementia. It's a place for people with dementia who no longer have either proper judgement or a feeling for their own security, but long for freedom. If one thing defines this place, it's serenity. Residents venture outside without coats in the winter and wear two in the summer. They feel the rain on their skin and leave their umbrellas at home. They drink coffee before bed and eat chocolate for breakfast. They cross the street in a rage and sing to themselves down hallways...But how does it work? How can people with dementia possibly live safely OUTSIDE of a hospital setting?
Check out the details below…
Photograph by Madeleine Sars, Eindhoven
Drawing by Niek Roozen, Weesp
Drawing by Molenaar&Bol&VanDillen architekten
But there's something strange about this village...for one thing, that woman didn't pay for a single thing in her cart.
Photograph by Hans Erkelens, Flickr
Because in the town of Weesp, Holland, all of the full-time residents have Alzheimer's or dementia.
Caregivers work in separate shifts in this special retirement community that's serving as a model for long-term care in the future! All of the people who work in Dementia Village have been trained as caregivers...including the people who check you out at the grocery store. While the products don't have prices, the process of shopping is actually good for the well-being of residents with Alzheimer's and Dementia because it gives them a sense of INDEPENDENCE. Ordinarily, residents with such severe dementia would be kept in hospitals or nursing homes, staring at white walls and blinking TV screens.
Photograph by Hans Erkelens, Flickr
Photograph above by KopArt, Amstelveen
Photograph by Anita Edridge
Photograph above by KopArt, Amstelveen
Photograph above by KopArt, Amstelveen
Photograph above by KopArt, Amstelveen
Photograph by Madeleine Sars, Eindhoven
Photograph by Madeleine Sars, Eindhoven
Photograph by Madeleine Sars, Eindhoven
No cars or buses are permitted within the walls of the town...but that doesn't mean there aren't other (FUN) ways of getting around!
The average age of a resident (they're NEVER referred to as patients) is 83, and their caregivers are licensed care professionals and local volunteers.
The town is surrounded by fortress-like walls so residents are kept safe without being confined to a hospital or asylum.
There's one door in the "fortress" where caregivers and volunteers enter and exit with a safety key card.
Many experts say that giving folks a sense of independence allows them to live happier - and healthier - for a longer time. Check out the video below, and sound off: does this seem like a good idea for senior care to you?
Credits: CNN
The Alzheimer’s Association’s latest statistics reveal that the world’s population is aging with more speed and difficulty. One in three seniors dies with dementia. 25 percent of caretakers are long-distance providers, costing the nation more than $200 billion by giving away 17.5 billion unpaid hours of care each year. By 2050, it is expected that Alzheimer’s will cost the nation $1.2 trillion as the number of patients with dementia increases.
Personally I find this is so fantastic. I can only imagine how much better my grandmother would have felt being able to roam around, do her errands, everything that she felt like he needed to do, but couldn't because of dementia.
I hope we develop medical solutions and make Alzheimer's and dementia a thing of the past, but in the mean time, this is really going to improve the lives of people who are physically quite healthy but need just need a bit of oversight that doesn't feel like oversight. I hope we have this in the US sooner rather than later.
Source: Twisted Sifter
Share this unique shelter for those who have spent their lives offering and now they deserve a decent time with others to bring awareness of how the elderly should be treated everywhere!
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