“Dementia Village” made major headlines last year after CNN featured the innovative skilled nursing facility as part of its “World’s Untold Stories” coverage. Inquisitr featured the fake village the year before that. Hogeweyk is still in operation, and now serves 152 dementia patients living in 23 fully staffed homes just minutes from downtown Amsterdam. The facility is completely enclosed and secure to prevent wandering and ensure safety, but appears from the inside to be a normal small town. It spans several acres and includes a salon, a grocery store, a town commons, a post office, a movie theater, and more.
“Sometimes it takes a bit of extra effort, but our loved ones are worth it,” celebrity George Takei wrote of Hogeweyk Dementia Village as nearly a thousand Takei fans liked his status each minute after he posted it. Thanks to Takei, who shared the photo posted by Suspended Coffee ‘s Facebook page, Dementia Village is back in the limelight again.
Hogeweyk’s 23 apartment homes are divided into six groups of “lifestyles” that offer the residents a familiar setting. The six groups are described as: Christian, Indonesian, artisan, cultural, homey, and upper class. There are twice as many caregivers on staff at Dementia Village as there are residents, giving an authentic city atmosphere. Caregivers can be seen dressed in street clothes appropriate for the role they play in the village.
According to Psychology Today , patients required less medication and were markedly calmer after a few weeks in Dementia Village. Other countries have visited the extraordinary nursing facility and created similar towns. Costing significantly less than in-home care and being significantly more humane and compassionate than current standards, Hogeweyk Dementia Village may be a model for future elderly-care facilities across the globe.
[Photo by Erkelens Digital Imaging Creative Commons ]
