In recognition of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, now might be a good time to learn more about Dementia Villages.
Dementia Villages can be a positive way to integrate people living with dementia into society. According to a New York Times article from 7/3/23, these villages or “microtowns” are a growing trend in Europe as a new generation of supervised home care that is literally part of neighborhoods, towns and communities. One example is the Hogeweyk. Since 2009, the Hogeweyk, which sits on four acres in the Amsterdam suburb of Weesp, has aimed to “emancipate people living with dementia and include them in society,” according to its website: https://hogeweyk.dementiavillage.com.
It will be a challenging model to scale in the US given private pay issues, but with cases continuing to soar, all options must be on the table. According to the New York Times article, as yet, there are no dementia villages in the United States, apart from a Hogeweyk-inspired dementia-care day center in South Bend, Ind. But one is in development in Holmdel, N.J., with plans to open its doors in the next two to three years.
“The numbers are increasing because the population size is increasing, and the population is aging,” said Dr. Tarun Dua, who heads the Brain Health unit at the W.H.O.’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use. “This is not something that is going to go away.”
Interested in being part of a thought leadership discussion on dementia villages? Contact us at https://agepros.net. A link to the full New York Times article follows.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/03/realestate/dementia-villages-senior-living
Reported by agepros.net, the only blog for aging industry professionals.
