Architects in Holland designed a special little town that's like no other place you've ever seen. In this town, you don't have to pay for food in the grocery store, so this woman didn't do anything wrong.
Welcome to Dementia Village, a town in Holland that's set to take the place of nursing homes and retirement communities with sad white walls and hospital-esque settings. This innovative town just might be the future of long-term care for our loved ones who are suffering from the affliction of Alzheimer's – or other forms of dementia – diseases that comes all too often with old age. I know I can only speak for myself, but this is a place that I would be much more comfortable with my grandmother or parent living in, should they ever have to.
But how does it work? How can people with dementia possibly live safely OUTSIDE of a hospital setting?
Check out the details below…and please SHARE if you feel this is an idea we should bring to the USA!
It looks just like a normal village for the most part...
There are restaurants, beauty salons, and, of course, a quaint grocery store!
But there's something strange about this village...for one thing, that woman didn't pay for a single thing in her cart.
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.
Dementia village encourages the exact opposite. All of the outdoor areas in the tiny town are safe for residents!
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??
