For this week’s blog we hand over to Teresa Atkinson to hear about her experience of presenting at a symposium in the Netherlands.
Mantelzorger Samen – Caregiver together
My recent trip to the Netherlands taught me many things: some new words, some new skills but above all, how aligned we are in our aims to support the post diagnostic needs of those affected by dementia.
In 2019 it was our pleasure to welcome Marleenje Prins to the Association for Dementia Studies (ADS) for three months whilst she worked on her PhD. Marleenje lives in Amsterdam and works at the Trimbos Institute in Utrecht. The Institute focuses on a wide range of issues including addictions, youth and older adults. I was kindly invited to take part in their recent symposium: Hoe om te gaan met de diagnose dementie? (How do we deal with a diagnosis of dementia?). The symposium was presented both face-to-face and online, attended by over 80 participants from across the Netherlands. The main focus was to share the findings of the evaluation of the Dutch version of the SHARE project. I was also able to ‘share’ the post-diagnostic support work taking place in the UK. A recording of the symposium is available via this link (Teresa’s presentation starts at 3:09:50)
The Netherlands has a population of 17.4 million and around 290,000 people living with dementia meaning their percentage at 1.7 is slighter higher than our 1.3% in the UK. Similar again to the UK, three quarters of the people with dementia live at home.
As you will know from previous blogs, our Meeting Centre work derived from that developed in the Netherlands, so there is a great tradition of post-diagnostic support there including:
- Daytime activities (dagbesteding): emphasis is on fun and relaxation
- Day treatment (dagbehandeling): guidance is in the hands of a multidisciplinary team with specialized carers
- Day care (dagopvang, called living room project): emphasis on drinking coffee and eating together, playing games, etc.
- Care farms (zorgboerderijen) with specialized care for people with dementia
- Meeting Centers (ontmoetingscentra) with specialized care for people with dementia
The focus of Marleenjte’s current work is also very aligned with the work we are doing here at ADS. The LAD Study (Living arrangements for people with dementia) has been running since 2008 and is currently about to begin its new wave of data collection considering, amongst other things, what type of living arrangements and integrated care work best to support the quality of life for people with dementia. We are looking forward to sharing findings from our DemECH project with Marleenjte’s team which focuses on how people with dementia can be supported to live well in Extra Care Housing.
I am hopeful that strong ties can be maintained with Marleenjte and her team. We may have a different language and work within different countries, but our issues and our goals are the same. We want the best possible life for people living with dementia and the families and friends who support them.
Connect with ADS on twitter @DementiaStudies and on Facebook @adsuow
Association for Dementia Studies Blog 