The Dutch Village Where Everyone Has Dementia
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/the-dutch-village-where-everyone-has-dementia/382195/
When Yvonne van Amerongen received a phone call from her mother two decades ago, relaying that her father had died of a heart attack—sudden and painless—one of the first things she thought was, Thank God he never had to be in a nursing home.
Van Amerongen was working as a staff member at a traditional Dutch nursing home at the time, getting a front-line view of what she never wanted for her parents. That call from her mother spurred Yvonne into action as she became committed to making nursing homes more livable and less of a departure from reality for their residents. She envisioned a setup as far away as possible from the nondescript buildings and polished floors of her workplace, where everything carried the scent of a dentist’s medical cabinet. Over the next 20 years, she worked to secure the funding she’d need to make the idea a reality.
Today, the isolated village of Hogewey lies on the outskirts of Amsterdam in the small town of Wheesp. Dubbed “Dementia Village” by CNN, Hogewey is a cutting-edge elderly-care facility—roughly the size of 10 football fields—where residents are given the chance to live seemingly normal lives. With only 152 inhabitants, it’s run like a more benevolent version of The Truman Show, if The Truman Show were about dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Like most small villages, it has its own town square, theater, garden, and post office. Unlike typical villages, however, this one has cameras monitoring residents every hour of every day, caretakers posing in street clothes, and only one door in and out of town, all part of a security system designed to keep the community safe. Friends and family are encouraged to visit. Some come every day. Last year, CNN reported that residents at Hogewey require fewer medications, eat better, live longer, and appear more joyful than those in standard elderly-care facilities.
There are no wards, long hallways, or corridors at the facility. Residents live in groups of six or seven to a house, with one or two caretakers. Perhaps the most unique element of the facility—apart from the stealthy “gardener” caretakers—is its approach toward housing. Hogeway features 23 uniquely stylized homes, furnished around the time period when residents’ short-term memories stopped properly functioning. There are homes resembling the 1950s, 1970s, and 2000s, accurate down to the tablecloths, because it helps residents feel as if they’re home. Residents are cared for by 250 full- and part-time geriatric nurses and specialists, who wander the town and hold a myriad of occupations in the village, like cashiers, grocery-store attendees, and post-office clerks. Finances are often one of the trickier life skills for dementia or Alzheimer’s patients to retain, which is why Hogewey takes it out of the equation; everything is included with the family’s payment plan, and there is no currency exchanged within the confines of the village.
Snip
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/the-dutch-village-where-everyone-has-dementia/382195/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Zombies? What? WHAT?!
You bad... 
but as long as you wash your hands after wards it's all good.
Kudos to Yvonne
received on June 30, 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, the Highly Commended Award for Mental Health for her outstanding vision and its predictive concept in the field of nursing care for people with dementia in the Hogeweyk. At the same time, the Hogeweyk (Weesp) was also in the interest of an international dementia conference in Sydney.
That is absolutely amazing! 
Scott Walker: Denying health care to low-income people helps them 'Live the American Dream'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/108413558
I saw a report on TV about something sort of like this, started out of Boston. Now it's all over the country, I think.
Beacon Hill. The report by Rita Braver is worth watching. I think I saw it on CBS Sunday Morning.
http://www.beaconhillvillage.org
This organization is oriented more to letting older people stay in their homes. I think it's sort of like they take in "roommates" and there's an organizational structure that helps them get the things done that many elderly residents find hard to do.
Cher
My dear MIL has dementia and resides in assisted living which is fairly nice, and we are grateful for that.
What an amazing story...bravo to this compassionate and wonderful woman! 
