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Here in the Netherlands there is an ongoing trend in the care for the elderly with dementia to move away from the classical ward behind a locked door with keypa

Here in the Netherlands there is an ongoing trend in the care for the elderly with dementia to move away from the classical ward behind a locked door with keypad. This special village is one approach that works well with people who cannot function safely outside. Another approach that is getting more popular is to let those who can, roam around outside the facility freely with a bit of guidance and the help of local citizens (shopkeepers who keep an eye out) and technology (GPS trackers in their clothes or shoes). Both approaches have huge benefits: it provides the sufferers from dementia with much needed stimuli. A stimulating environment helps prevent a rapid degeneration of the mind — that is, research has shown that use it or lose it is doubly important for elderly suffering from this disease. It also helps preserve a sense of identity. The classical response was always to simply give up on the patients freedom and lock them up in a closed ward where everything is clinically clean, but that also means depriving them of a world that stimulates and intrigues. I've noticed some concerns about the ethics of this secluded village concept, but compared with the alternatives (the closed ward in an elderly care facility) this is about as humane as you can get. People who live there are not maliciously kept unaware of the outside world, and some will regularly go outside with family and friends to celebrate something or to visit a park or a museum; the outside world is not a secret that is being kept from them! But these people do live in a reality of their own; that's just what dementia does to you. To them, left to their own devices, this village is the real world — but at least they can safely wander around without feeling cooped up in a small ward.

wil421 10y ago
I'm sure they exist but I don't think elderly care facilities are always locked wards. My grandfather recently had to move into an assisted living facility because he was forgetting to eat. The place is a couple miles from his house in a small rural town. He still gets freedom of movement and has his car but the staff monitor him and make sure his vitals are ok and he takes his meds/eats. There are several dementia patients at the same location. While they don't have as much freedom they are certainly not locked up in a ward. The staff does daily activities, there's a farm next door they visit with cows, they take field trips to different places, families are free to come and visit etc... I think only people with serious cases of dementia are hospitalized. It's important to be contained because many simply walk away and are never seen again or are unable to identify themselves. GPS trackers would help but how do you force them to wear it everyday. From the article, only 150 people live in this village. How many people have dementia in the Netherlands? A quick search says there are 5.4 million Alzheimer's patients in the US, roughly the population of Denmark. How could a village like this scale?
- Freak_NL 10y ago
  > I'm sure they exist but I don't think elderly care facilities are always locked wards. No certainly not! These are reserved for the cases that can not be left alone safely; that is, severe dementia. This closed village concept is of course not meant for the elderly who can safely navigate their environment with a decent degree of autonomy. > How could a village like this scale? One way is to successfully proof to the insurance companies that this is in fact cheaper than over-medication and closed wards. You see, there are health benefits to keeping people active and mobile in a safe area. The classical closed ward is very restrictive; not just in terms of space, but also in terms of stimuli. If nothing challenges you, you soon give up on a lot of your daily activities, and soon these folk resort to a sedentary lifestyle. That causes a spate of health issues, from pressure ulcers to loss of muscle power. That in turn necessitates curative treatments, and those are expensive. For the elderly at risk of this, such as closed village concept should be seen as preventive medicine! A daily trip to the local shop inside the village means using your brain to purchase something, and using your body to get there and back to your room, all without having to pay a penalty when you fail (i.e., if you forget what you were doing, the staff can help, and if you trip and fall you are never far from medical attention).
  - wil421 10y ago
    I agree they absolutely need stimuli. I've seen what happens in a couple years when elderly give up their hobbies. Hopefully this village concept will gain traction in the US.
- taneq 10y ago
  > How could a village like this scale? Linearly? I mean, it's right there in the description.

wil421 10y ago

I'm sure they exist but I don't think elderly care facilities are always locked wards. My grandfather recently had to move into an assisted living facility because he was forgetting to eat. The place is a couple miles from his house in a small rural town. He still gets freedom of movement and has his car but the staff monitor him and make sure his vitals are ok and he takes his meds/eats. There are several dementia patients at the same location. While they don't have as much freedom they are certainly not locked up in a ward. The staff does daily activities, there's a farm next door they visit with cows, they take field trips to different places, families are free to come and visit etc... I think only people with serious cases of dementia are hospitalized. It's important to be contained because many simply walk away and are never seen again or are unable to identify themselves. GPS trackers would help but how do you force them to wear it everyday. From the article, only 150 people live in this village. How many people have dementia in the Netherlands? A quick search says there are 5.4 million Alzheimer's patients in the US, roughly the population of Denmark. How could a village like this scale?

Freak_NL 10y ago
> I'm sure they exist but I don't think elderly care facilities are always locked wards. No certainly not! These are reserved for the cases that can not be left alone safely; that is, severe dementia. This closed village concept is of course not meant for the elderly who can safely navigate their environment with a decent degree of autonomy. > How could a village like this scale? One way is to successfully proof to the insurance companies that this is in fact cheaper than over-medication and closed wards. You see, there are health benefits to keeping people active and mobile in a safe area. The classical closed ward is very restrictive; not just in terms of space, but also in terms of stimuli. If nothing challenges you, you soon give up on a lot of your daily activities, and soon these folk resort to a sedentary lifestyle. That causes a spate of health issues, from pressure ulcers to loss of muscle power. That in turn necessitates curative treatments, and those are expensive. For the elderly at risk of this, such as closed village concept should be seen as preventive medicine! A daily trip to the local shop inside the village means using your brain to purchase something, and using your body to get there and back to your room, all without having to pay a penalty when you fail (i.e., if you forget what you were doing, the staff can help, and if you trip and fall you are never far from medical attention).
- wil421 10y ago
  I agree they absolutely need stimuli. I've seen what happens in a couple years when elderly give up their hobbies. Hopefully this village concept will gain traction in the US.
taneq 10y ago
> How could a village like this scale? Linearly? I mean, it's right there in the description.