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The Dutch Village Where Everyone Has Dementia
HughPickens.com writes Josh Planos writes at The Atlantic that the isolated village of Hogewey on the outskirts of Amsterdam has been dubbed "Dementia Village" because it is home to residents who are only admitted if they're categorized as having severe cases of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. "There are no wards, long hallways, or corridors at the facility," writes Planos. "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."
In Holland, everyone pays into the state health care system during their working years, with the money then disbursed to pay for later-in-life expenses — and that means living in Hogewey does not cost any more than a traditional nursing home. The inspiration came about in 1992, when Yvonne van Amerongen and another member of staff at a traditional nursing home both had their own mothers die, being glad that their elderly parents had died quickly and had not had to endure hospital-like care. A series of research and brainstorming sessions in 1993 found that humans choose 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. On a physical level, residents at Hogewey require fewer medications; they eat better and they live longer. On a mental level, they also seem to have more joy. "The people here keep their independence, as much as they can have of it, and they stay active," says Theo Visser. "Here they still have a life. It's not the sort of slow, quiet death you get in other places. Here everyone feels at home."
In Holland, everyone pays into the state health care system during their working years, with the money then disbursed to pay for later-in-life expenses — and that means living in Hogewey does not cost any more than a traditional nursing home. The inspiration came about in 1992, when Yvonne van Amerongen and another member of staff at a traditional nursing home both had their own mothers die, being glad that their elderly parents had died quickly and had not had to endure hospital-like care. A series of research and brainstorming sessions in 1993 found that humans choose 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. On a physical level, residents at Hogewey require fewer medications; they eat better and they live longer. On a mental level, they also seem to have more joy. "The people here keep their independence, as much as they can have of it, and they stay active," says Theo Visser. "Here they still have a life. It's not the sort of slow, quiet death you get in other places. Here everyone feels at home."
answer^
We call it "Washington".
When my time comes I hope they provide a (then) retro version of Slashdot.
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um, no, it doesn't mean that. It may mean that it isn't priced any higher, and it may in fact be cheaper to operate, but generally all citizens paying into something makes it cost more, not less, as the ready availability of other people's cash saps the desire to cut costs.
I'm not saying it's not a good idea (sounds like it is) and I'm not saying a lot of other things, I'm just saying that if a large scale public works or social benefit project operates in a money saving way, it's a story worth telling in detail, it doesn't generally "follow" automatically
Neatly collects people with dementia into one out of the way place...
Is what a nursing home costs in the US. Fortunately after paying down all assets Medicaid kicks in. Unfortunately Congress seems poised to slash medicaid. Good luck to all of you out there who may end up taking care of someone with Alzheimer's or dementia. The best you can do is pray for an early death.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
Why am I picturing something out the TV series "The Prisoner" from the late 60's
https://www.google.ca/search?q=the+prisoner&espv=2&biw=1117&bih=629&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=T4JqVImWGpWzyATShICwCQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#tbm=isch&q=the%20prisoner%201967&revid=649089287&imgdii=_
Number 6?
Somehow scary giant floating white bubbles chasing you down?
where I work!
So nice to see the abundance of options people in other countries have. Is not it awesome to have a single provider of healthcare? You would never think of disagreeing with how those monies you've been paying all your life are (or aren't) disbursed, would you?
And if someone does get so disgustingly anti-social as to have such a discouraging thought, why, End-of-Life Counseling may be just what the doctor might order for him... Living past 75 is immoral, after all...
Well, that means that either it is not a particularly desired option, or that joining requires non-monetary "payments" — such as waiting in line for a few years, or paying a bribe, or knowing somebody in the right place...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
As Muslims become (higher birth rates due to teen pregnancy, not rocket science) the ever-growing percentage of the population, the idea that state money would be spent on elderly Alzheimer's patients who are Dutch, rather than on Welfare for Muslim men with four wives and fifteen kids, is laughable.
Sure, a racially homogenous, small country with money can spend on things like that. Because there is not much argument -- everyone is the same race and figures to get old.
When racial and religous and cultural differences crop up, due to mass Third World Immigration, everything breaks down. Does anyone really think that Muslim men and women would rather the money be spent on elderly natives who are sick rather than on THEM? Much less elderly, DUTCH not MUSLIM people who are indeed, infidels?
And when not if there are enough Mulims, they'll simply get their way. That's Democracy. It sometimes does not even require a min of 51%, sometimes just threats of violence carried out strategically, against a weak and impotent majority unwilling to escalate.
Prediction: that sort of thing will be closed down, the elderly sick be left to die in the cheapest ward possible, and the money spent on Muslim kids food and clothing.
In Holland, everyone pays into the state health care system during their working years
In America everyone pays into Social Security during their working years.
Then Congress raids it and leaves an I.O.U. that they can never possibly pay.
They would do exactly the same thing for a State Healthcare System. So I can see why that would be popular with them.
Incorrect. Washington is not for dementia patients, it's for people with incurable narcissistic sociopathy. Oddly enough, the afflicted are not the people who suffer as a result of the disease, it's everyone else who suffers.
I have been giving this a fair bit of thought recently. I have a number of co-morbid conditions that are rapidly going to cause me to no longer be able to take care of myself. Example: I have woken up in the floor after fainting several times in the past few months. Often I am injured, but as of yet have not hit my head. Further, I suffer from conditions that make it effectively impossible to leave my dwelling on a regular basis and I have PTSD flashbacks routinely.
However, in my early 40's there are no establishments I am aware of for persons like myself. Instead I must resort to a nurse who visits occasionally. I would think a group home would work better and be less expensive.
which succintly sums up Obama-care
There's an old abbandoned sanitarium town near Kamloops BC https://www.google.ca/search?q...
It was on the tv show called After People
Its pretty awesome when you drive by it and quite a creepy feeling.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
This opens up an interesting possibility. As neighborhoods and even small towns become empty as the population shifts to cities, perhaps repopulating them with dementia patients would be a way to put them to use. Of course it could just as likely end up being a dysfunctional version of the village in "King of Hearts."
... who read the village's name as "Hogwarts"?
#DeleteChrome
Because just as soon as the ACA passed, that's when hospitals started to be miserable places to be. Thanks Obama.
Oh, and it's spelled "succinctly". Why is spell check like kryptonite to Tea Partiers?
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
I know it sux0rs, driven o0t by the to place a pap3r BSD machines
Market. TherefOre
the latest NetcrafT this exploitation, bought the farm... more grandiose
nt
Is this some kind of inside joke? As in, this is where slashdot editors reside? Only reason I can think of for this to be posted here at all.... (sigh)
Doesn't matter if it doesn't cost extra if the waiting line to get in is 100 miles long.
Shades of another quaint and serene Village from 1967, where The Prisoner (- a Secret Agent, played by Patrick McGoohan) was kept in a surreal setting among people who sometimes behaved as though brain dead. The quote reflects the prisoner's anger that nobody in the Village would call him by name; only his assigned number 6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T... [Wikipedia]
Still, everything was provided to the inmates. If The Prisoner wasn't so stubborn he might have enjoyed it. (Youngsters rejoice; if you missed the original Prisoner TV series, you may have another chance- director Christopher Nolan may be planning a movie version.)
...omphaloskepsis often...
Right now, we're still in the "free money" phase of ACA. The destructive effects start creeping in as the costs continue to spiral out of control and now even sensible consumers of medical care can't escape the miserable conditions anymore.
Can they jack up your taxes to pay for my care? Please?
News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters.
Cue the usual American assholes who can't beliveve universal health care is better, despite the way it works well elsewhere!
Wow
I'm in another country (Australia), and I've recently experienced both private and public care due to a stage IV melanoma. I went private because I genuinely felt I would have better care, but got a post-op infection, and some of what I saw worried me. I checked myself into the public system for my second operation and did indeed recieve much better care - In particular wound management seemed much more professional. I've since spoken to people who have worked in both systems (nuclear physicist and a couple of nurses) and the consensus was that on average public system care is superior. I heard yesterday on Australias ABC that private hospitals are a few years behind in infection management, and I'm not surprised.
In Holland, everyone pays into the state health care system during their working years, with the money then disbursed to pay for later-in-life expenses
The Dutch health care system never worked like that. They might be confused with the pension system, where people save for their generation's retirement. While heavily regulated, the pension system is not run by the state.
The Dutch health care system is actually a lot like Obamacare, with private insurance companies which are not allowed to turn down people who apply. The system was redesigned in 2006: before that, people with low to moderate salaries were insured via their employer, while now all people pick and pay their own insurer. The increased competition in the new system hasn't stopped medical costs from rising though.
That's what the Republican call a dog whistle. Normal people hear nothing out of the ordinary, but as racist hears that Negros are not allowed. That's why it's called a dog whistle. That place is disgusting and is a throwback to when the Nazis ruled there. Many of the people here still fondly remember that time.
The ACA doesn't create a public health care system in the US.
And there really is no general conclusions you can draw about the performance of public vs private systems from any country or anecdote.
Exactly my first thought. "Where am I?" "In the Village...."
The stealthy gardeners put me over the top.....
Love the captcha challenge: specter. That's eerie.
gymkata
Rising costs are no surprise. There doesn't appear to be direct collusion between insurers, but there is no real competition either. Do you think an insurer would prefer to charge a €100 monthly premium to cover a €1000 average yearly medical bill, or charge €200 premium for a €2000 bill? And prices are further inflated by empire building, ie. setting up and staffing a bunch of auxiliary functions and services that are not directly related to healthcare (and in practise do not work to benefit health either)
Since everybody has mandatory insurance for a fixed package of health care items, what added value do the insurers actually have? There's a few things that are mentioned from time to time:
- efficiency in operation. State-run schemes are notoriously bureaucratic, but there's no indication that private insurers are any more efficient; on the contrary. Especially since there are multiple companies, each with separate administration and management.
- purchasing savvy. Again, there's no indication that they are better at buying care and medicine than, for instance, the New Zealand govt which managed to get a massive discount on medicine.
- value added services like fitness programmes, health awareness campaigns, etc. this amounts to little more than the aforementioned empire building, and appears to add very little value.
I'd much prefer the Dutch government to handle basic insurance themselves, leaving the insurance companies to handle additional insurance packages (additional dental, homeopathic, acupuncture etc). I'm no commie, but universal health care has clear benefits, and if it's truly universal and socialised, it's better to let the state run it instead of a (in case of Dutch health insurance) dysfunctional market.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
Even the caretakers?
um, no, it doesn't mean that. It may mean that it isn't priced any higher, and it may in fact be cheaper to operate, but generally all citizens paying into something makes it cost more, not less, as the ready availability of other people's cash saps the desire to cut costs.
I'm not saying it's not a good idea (sounds like it is) and I'm not saying a lot of other things, I'm just saying that if a large scale public works or social benefit project operates in a money saving way, it's a story worth telling in detail, it doesn't generally "follow" automatically
Practically if you want a certain substance , procedure, or medical apparatus there is rarely any concurrence in any country. But even if there was, who do you think will get the more rabatt ? The 3-5 different insurance company which each negotiate individually for a region for each of their percentage of persons, or the government which want to reduce spending and has 100% of the population ?
A nice little town where everyone knows everybody...oh wait...
hey its number six here ,
go see number 2
who is number 1
you are number 6
Typical Eurotrash nanny state liberal dystopian nightmare. Without the freedom to die alone and forgotten, poor and unseen, with little to no access to healthcare, there is no incentive to become rich: the pinnacle of American achievement and greatest purpose in life.
Ah, I see. So the "costs spiraling out of control" part that you guys said would happen immediately and didn't has merely been postponed. I get it.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
... so that won't fly here in the for-profit US.
Slashdot Beta with every story and comment submitted by Bennett Haselton....
Many parts of the law haven't even been implemented yet; for example, the Cadillac tax kicks in 2018, and Obama has dropped many features. Some of the bad effects people have predicted have already happened, like people having to switch to plans they don't want to switch to and premiums rising
You really have to be a blind partisan to maintain the delusion that ACA is working the way it was sold to the American people.
um, no, it doesn't mean that. It may mean that it isn't priced any higher, and it may in fact be cheaper to operate, but generally all citizens paying into something makes it cost more, not less, as the ready availability of other people's cash saps the desire to cut costs.
It may sap the desire to cut costs, but it may also provide real economy of scale benefits. Which factor weights more depends entirely on the product and market. Few people would argue that individualizing roads would make it cheaper/better, just as few people would argue that making car building a public work would make it cheaper/better.
But compared to buying a car, there are some factors that make it very hard for individuals to negotiate properly when buying health care:
- health care is not optional for those who need it (there is no public transport or buying pre-owned alternative);
- individuals rarely have enough knowledge / options to negotiate effectively (there is limited option to check the car dealer next door);
- the demand for health care is not scheduled (you know your car needs service every Y miles, and replacement after X years).
Additionally, the Dutch health care market is a bit more complex. For general health care, it is a multi-buyer, multi-provider market. People are required to be insured, but the insurance companies are commercial entities. Many of the providers are commercial entities as well. For 'uninsurable care' (such as long term nursing and whatever else the current administration wishes to label as such), it is a single buyer, multi provider market. A combination of purchasing power and public scrutiny of excesses (which do occur) does keep significant pressure on the prices / margins.
I can't imagine a place like that here in the U.S. Of course, humane is not what we do here anymore.
It's not a seperate village. It's care facility in the town of Weesp, near Amsterdam. See http://www.vivium.nl/hogewey. Silly Americans ;-).
Dementia or Alzheimer's disease is my worst nightmare. I have seen it close up (as have many others here I would guess) and I would rather go out while still able to wipe my arse and remember the names of my family and leave them the memory of a whole and functional person.
The new right fascists are bilingual. They speak English and Bullshit.
the Cadillac tax
Normally, I am not a fan of taxes on specific items, but a heavy tax on ugly and crappy cars would be a great idea.