GLOBAL HEALTH AGING

Dementia can affect anybody and there is no cure for it. It is estimated that in 2050, more than 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s, which is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is a disease that affects the mental ability to perform everyday life activities. A person who has dementia progressively experiences a decline in memory loss which results in confusion and even fear. Imagine if you could not remember your own spouse, children, or even forget where you are at a certain time? People with dementia live in their own world and as the disease progresses, need help from care givers. Oftentimes, this care will be provided in a nursing home.

In Holland, a Dementia Village called “Hogewey”, has been created where every patient has dementia. The nursing home has specialized itself to provide care to dementia patients and offers amenities that the elderly need to feel at home and secured. All rooms face a courtyard in which patients can sit outside, enjoy the sun, and even go for a walk on a trail. Physical exercise is important for all ages and even for elderly with dementia. Exercise benefits the brain cells and oxygen flows to the brain. For the families, it is a relief to know that their loved ones are taken care of and can live in a world that is true to them.

Hogewey is certainly a unique place and its positive effects on patient care have already been studied by Germany, Switzerland and USA. In the USA, a dementia village is already in planning. It will be based in San Luis Obispo and called Maha Cielo Village. No one knows how much it will cost to build the village or how much the monthly rent will be for elderly. Just so you know, the construction of Hogewey cost $25 million, of which $22 million was funded by the Dutch government. Although it is a great project, not every patient with Dementia may be able to afford the monthly rent of $7000 at Hogewey or at any other Dementia Village. Government agencies, insurances, non-profit or private organizations may have to come on board and support patients needing financial assistance.

Martina Lesperance is a Health Educator and Screening Technician in El Paso, Texas.