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:
(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.
Informal care support
Do you need support to effectively carry out your caregiving responsibilities and to keep it up? If so, please visit the Informal Care page.