'Samen Dementievriendelijk' teaches people to recognize and help people with dementia
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I thought this intriguing blog post title would spark some interest, as I'm writing this while on a European trip that will be concluding in Amsterdam. Samen Dementievriendelijk is the Netherland's Dementia Delta Plan, which aims to create dementia-friendly communities by teaching people to recognize and help people living with dementia.
‘Samen dementievriendelijk’, inspired by earlier foreign dementia projects, is an initiative that will help their society to learn more about dementia and the ways one can help people with dementia and their carers. Within this program not only the public is trained to become a ‘dementiafriend’ by registering on a special website. They will be invited to do an online course where they learn to identify common dementia-related behaviors and their causes, and how to respond to them. But also a brought range of companies are addressed to become dementia friendly in their products and services. Nationwide companies like supermarkets, bus and taxi companies, banks, insurers but also local retailers and many municipalities participate in this program.
The cooperative Deltaplan for Dementia is the Dutch national platform to address and manage the growing problem of dementia. Together with their member organizations in the field of science, research, healthcare institutions, patient organization, healthcare insurance, education and business, they aim for better lives for people with dementia and their families and to create a barrier against the effects of dementia.
Deriving its name from the Dutch waterworks that protects a large area of land from the sea, Deltaplan dementia works closely together with private and public members based on three important pillars; research, healthcare/support, and a dementia-friendly society.
Next, their national strategy Deltaplan Dementia aims to focus on international collaboration. They strongly believe in international collaboration to tackle this worldwide challenge and growing problem.
Deltaplan Dementia:
- is an eight-year program which began in 2013
- includes dementia research and innovation programs and currently has over hundred different research projects
- aims to focus on Improvement of Health Care to ensure that patients of today can continue to live at home as long as possible, supported by appropriate professional and informal care
- also aims to stimulate a society that is more dementia friendly
Like Dementia Friendly America, initiatives like these are spreading throughout the world, giving tremendous hope for widespread quality of life improvements in those living with dementia and those who care for them.
I'm going to work really hard at the proper pronunciation of Samen dementievriendelijk’, and look forward to sharing more about what Europe is doing in this arena.
Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate Training Insitute and a passionate advocate for older adults and those who serve them. She is the creator of the internationally recognized Dementia Live® Simulation Program, transforming how people understand and respond to persons living with cognitive impairments. You may read more about this program at http://www.AGEucate.com