Anyone with family members suffering from dementia knows all too well the constant worry they face as they try to live their daily lives. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to alleviate that hardship outside of a hospital?
Medical research continues to reveal numerous and exciting innovations in the treatment and prevention of dementia, but one of the more intrepid ideas for treating patients with dementia comes from outside the hospital setting — and it’s beginning to capture the interest of medical professionals all over the globe.
Medical research continues to reveal numerous and exciting innovations in the treatment and prevention of dementia, but one of the more intrepid ideas for treating patients with severe dementia comes from outside the hospital setting — and it’s beginning to capture the interest of medical professionals all over the globe.
Last year, we told you about Hogewey Village, a small community just outside of Amsterdam that has inspired a brand-new model for the senior living among those with dementia. It’s called “Dementia Village,” and it’s catching on like wildfire.
The village is a small community with a town center containing all the businesses one might expect to see in their own hometown — a restaurant, grocery store, cinema, and much more. The only difference is that all its residents suffer from severe dementia, and most of them are unaware that their town is actually a contained nursing home community.
Now Canada is getting in on the Dementia Village game, opening its own version of the bold community in Ontario.
As with Hogeway Village, the employees operating Canada’s Georgian Bay Retirement Home are specially trained in serving dementia patients. And just as Hogewey Village exists as a real, working town, Georgian Bay offers themed living environments designed to transport residents back to the happiest times in their lives.
Among the options available to them are:
- The 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s-themed living
- Vintage kitchens
- A car garage, complete with a 1947 Dodge inside
- Nurseries with dolls designed to resemble actual babies
And cleverly, the doors are disguised as bookshelves so that residents aren’t tempted to stray.
The whole idea goes to show that we’re at the dawn of a new day in dementia care. CBC News reports that plenty of other “copycat” villages are on the way. And while we may not have one near Phoenix just yet, there are plenty of other exciting innovations in senior living here.
If your loved one is facing a future with dementia, our office can help you make strategic plans to give them the best care and quality of life available. Give us a call to find out how we can help.
