Dementia-friendly municipality
People with dementia are living at home longer and longer. They are partner, family, friend, sportsmate or client. Everyone from municipality to bank, neighbor to entrepreneur, police to association can do something to ensure that people with dementia and their loved ones are full members of our society. This requires a positive attitude from everyone in the municipality.
The municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo is a dementia-friendly municipality, where people with dementia continue to participate as long as possible from their own environment. From the municipality, tailored support is made possible and the knowledge of dementia in the community is increased, for example through training.
Forgetfulness or dementia?
Young or old, everyone forgets sometimes. As you get older, your memory starts to work differently, making it more common for you to forget something. This is very common. But when is it not? Could it be dementia?
More than 280,000 people in the Netherlands have dementia. Of these, 12,000 are under the age of 65. The risk of dementia increases significantly with age. About 74% of people with dementia live at home and are cared for by their close family and/or environment, called informal caregivers. With an aging population, the number of people with dementia in the Netherlands is likely to rise to 620,000 by 2050.
Currently, there are about 750 people living with dementia in Geldrop-Mierlo. Over the next 30 years, this number will double.
Diagnosing
Contact your primary care physician if you suspect dementia. Your family doctor can make the diagnosis, and put you in touch with a dementia case manager who can provide further guidance. This case manager is covered by health insurance.
For more information on dementia:
Way Forward
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, your future becomes uncertain. What will happen to you, what is dementia, where can you get help and so on? Below are a number of organizations that can guide you and organize activities for people with dementia and/or their caregivers.
Memory Library Geldrop-Mierlo
In the Memory Library you will find all kinds of materials for the person with dementia and for those directly involved. For example, there are books about memory problems, about Health for people with dementia, or (photo) books about "the old days," with subjects that are likely to evoke childhood memories. There are also games for memory training, among other things. And DVDs and movies. In addition, there are memory boxes, full of recognizable items, with which you can easily make contact and elicit personal memories.
Informal care support provided by the municipality
Are you no longer able to cope on your own? The municipality is responsible for supporting you as a caregiver. Do you need support to be able to do your care tasks well and to keep it up? Take a look at the page Informal care.
Alzheimer's Cafe
There are several Alzheimer's cafes in Southeast Brabant. These are meetings for everyone dealing with dementia. During the informal meetings you can get information about dementia and exchange experiences. An Alzheimer Café offers sociability, music and surprising encounters.
For an Alzheimer's Café near you, see Alzheimer's Netherlands near you | Alzheimer's Netherlands.
(Working group) Dementia friendly Geldrop-Mierlo
The working group Dementia Friendly Geldrop-Mierlo consists of enthusiastic volunteers who organize all kinds of activities with the support of GGD Brabant-Zuidoost and Levgroep.
For more information about the (working group) dementia friendly Geldrop-Mierlo, please contact Tiffany Domsdorf of GGD Brabant-Zuidoost. She can be reached at telephone number 088-31 10 552 or e-mail address: t.domsdorf@ggdbzo.nl.
Memory House Mierlo
The Memory House meetings are for people with memory problems, such as some form of dementia, NAH (non-congenital brain injury), Parkinson's disease, etc. But of course also for partners, family caregivers and anyone interested. There is no cost to participate.
Lectures and activities take place and there is room for questions. You can always indicate what information you need so that we can respond to it. The goal is to have an enjoyable monthly evening together where you can get answers to your questions, share experiences and meet fellow sufferers and experts.
Volunteers wanted!
From the working group dementia friendly Geldrop-Mierlo all kinds of activities are organized. In organizing these activities we can always use extra hands.
The following activities are planned for next year so far:
- Alzheimer NL's Memory Power education is organized from 1 or more neighborhood associations in Geldrop-Mierlo;
- Education for shopkeepers in Geldrop-Mierlo;
- Setting up an exercise activity for people with dementia and young people;
- Organizing a performance on World Alzheimer's Day.
Warm heart for people with dementia?
Bent/finds:
- good at coming up with fun dementia-friendly activities;
- enjoy organizing and possibly executing things;
- Are you well known in Geldrop and/or Mierlo;
If so, we would like to get in touch with you.
Interested or want to know more?
Are you interested in helping us with these activities? If so, please contact Elke Breugelmans of GGD Brabant-Zuidoost. She can be reached at telephone number 088- 00 31 240 or e-mail address: e.breugelmans@ggdbzo.nl.