Dubbed "Dementia Village," this small town in the Netherlands offer those suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia to live a life of comfort and relative normalcy.
For many people, aging can bring on a myriad of health issues, but few are as difficult or heartbreaking than when a loved one succumbs to Alzheimer's Disease or dementia.
Unlike typical nursing homes where those suffering from memory loss are placed, a village in the Netherlands offers both care and freedom to its residents.
This care facility is Hogewey, nicknamed "Dementia Village," and it's located near Amsterdam.
The area spans about 10 football fields, and resembles a typical town with a post office, theater and town square.
Surveillance cameras operate around the clock to keep tabs on the 152 villagers, who have all have been diagnosed with severe dementia or Alzheimer's.
250 full- and part-time caretakers also roam the area, disguised as cashiers and store employees.
This creates a sense of normalcy for residents, which extends to their living quarters as well.
23 houses are furnished to resemble different time periods, so people can live in the era where their short-term memory ended.
Hogeway received much of its funding from the Dutch government. While the cost of care monthly would be $8,000, the government subsidizes each resident so no one pays more than $3, 600.
CNN reported that those living in Hogeway eat better than their nursing-home counterparts, take less medication and seem happier overall.
