Imagine a community built around the concept of de-institutionalizing care. Giving purpose, love, friendship and freedom to our loved ones that have felt a loss of themselves. Imagine a place when you go to visit your loved ones, you find them browsing about the small park in the community visiting with friends, feeling the sun on their cheeks, breathing in the fresh air. Instead of being parked in front of a TV because, there is just not enough caregivers to entertain and engage the residents for any length of time. Imaging a place that when your loved one is hungry, they can get up and go get a snack or food at the corner store only steps away from their front door anytime they like. Imagine a place that when the mind and reason don’t match, there are twice as many caregivers as residents, to gently guide, support and care for our families. Helping to make safe and purposeful decisions on their terms and on their time. Such a place does exist, The Hogeweyk dementia village. Born from a concept In November of 1992 among a group of amazing like minded caregivers.

For any of you that have visited any number of memory care facilities in the US or for that matter, most places. You will find a completely different experience. Especially now, countless memory care facilities are over run by workloads, not enough staff and too little stimulus to make a true and impactful life for those trapped in a rapid decline of thought and reason. Sure you will get the occasional one or two staff members that are amazing but just simply can not be everywhere, every minute.

So why is it that we do not see more of these communities? How can such an amazing and meaningful idea be so obscure to most places around the world? Simply put, lack of education, initiation, funds and staff. So, why can’t we change that? Why can’t we as a community, come together to make necessary changes to better care and accommodate our loved ones? For this village and now several other places, changes are happening!

We as a society are still able to come together to support one another. Be part of the solution not the problem:) Care for one another instead of simply walking by because “it’s not your problem”. That mindset is what starts the decline in facilities around the world. Just imagine how much more rewarding and happy these places could be. Whether your working or your loved ones are living in any of these places, if everyone just simply took the second to help one another we could make a change. 

Just something to think about:) Be kind to one another as you go about your day.

Wishing you peace and happiness always,

Ginger Kelly