Standing Strong Together

Abstract

Loneliness and social isolation amongst elderly is becoming an oppressing problem and could even cause dementia over time. A worrying omen, especially when the growing dementia figures in the Netherlands are taken into consideration. A problem which is even more opressing due to the current- and future shortage of financial funding, healthcare staff, and housing. A relatively new typology which tries to create a partial solution for this problem is the Dementia Village; where healthcare, social functions, and nature are combined with a community based living on a larger urban scale than usual. However, this typology only focuses on patients with advanced dementia and thus only covers a small part of the main problem. Could some of its features be implemented within the current and future built environment, in order to also provide suitable residential care for patients with early stage dementia? Could a neighbourhood be realized where inhabitants form a tight community together, and by that tackling the problem of loneliness and social isolation amongst this patient- and age group? The main question of this research is defined in the following manner: How can the Dementia Village architecture provide residential care for early stage dementia patients and elderly on a larger community orientated neighbourhood scale? By the use of literature reviews, case studies of current Dementia Village’s, interviews with architects, urban planners, and healthcare staff, observations of dementia patients and the current healthcare environment, and location research an answer will be provided to this main question. Eventually this will lead to the definition of design guidelines for the implementation of features of the current Dementia Village typology, location and its architectural elements within the built environment.