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| Residential area inside De Hogeweyk, a hyper reality dementia care nursing facility in the Netherlands |
De Hogeweyk (the village) has been designed specifically as
a pioneering care facility for elderly people with dementia. Carers, doctors and nurses work around the
clock to provide the 152 residents the necessary 24-hour care.
The seven environmental settings are:
--Stedelijk, for those used to living in an urban area
--Goois, with an aristocratic Dutch feel
--Ambachtelijk for those used to working as trades people or
craftsmen/women
--Indisch for those with an association with Indonesia and
the former Dutch East Indies
--Huiselijk for homemakers
--Cultureel for those brought up with theatre and cinema
--Christelijk for those with a central religious aspect to
life, whether Christian or another religion.
The residents (paying 5,000 Euro per month) manage their own
households together with staff members. The living styles have different types
of music playing, significantly varied interior design, food and methods of
table setting. Residents in each house have their own large bedroom and share
the living room, kitchen and dining room. There are no locks on the doors, and
residents are free to walk or cycle around the village, including choosing to
visit the supermarket or cafe.[1]
Washing, cooking and so on is done every day in all of the
houses. Daily groceries are done in the Hogeweyk supermarket . Hogeweyk offers
its dementia-suffering inhabitants maximum privacy and autonomy. The village
has streets, squares, gardens and a park where the residents can safely roam
free. Just like any other village Hogeweyk offers a selection of facilities,
like a restaurant, a bar and a theatre. These facilities can be used by
Hogeweyk residents and residents of the
surrounding neighborhoods. Everybody is welcome to come in!
Village staff of doctors, nurses and carers number 250. The carers wear normal daytime clothing rather than clinical clothing and fit into a role that the dementia sufferers are likely to be comfortable with.
The village came about in 1992, when Yvonne van Amerongen
and another member of staff at a traditional nursing home had one of their
parents die, being glad that their elderly parents had died quickly and had not
had to endure hospital-like care. After a series of research and brainstorming
sessions in 1993, they decided that people generally prefer to surround and
interact with other like-minded people of similar backgrounds and experiences.
The arrangement at Hogewey provides this by ensuring that residents with similar
backgrounds continue to live closely together.
The Hogewey facility was designed by architects
Molenaar&Bol&VanDillen and opened in December 2009 on four acres of
land. It consists of low two-story brick buildings, and amenities such as a
supermarket and theatre. Construction of the new Hogewey facilities cost €19.3
million and was funded primarily by the Dutch government providing €17.8
million, plus €1.5 million in funding and sponsorship from local organisations.
Hogewey’s view on care is founded in day to day life in
society. In normal society living means having your own space to live and
managing your own household. People live together with other people sharing the
same ideas and values in life. This makes the place where one lives a home.
Hogeweyk residents have already lived a life where they shaped their own life,
where they made choices about their own household and standards. The fact that
a resident cannot function “normally” in certain areas, being handicapped by
dementia, does not mean that they no longer have a valid opinion on their day
to day life and surroundings. The residents opinion on life, housing, values
and standards determine their “lifestyle”.
So far, the plan is working just fine.
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