Dementia village reimagines care, support

VANCOUVER — The construction of specialized dementia care village in British Columbia that gives residents freedom to walk outside and participate in activities highlights the need for more diverse options for people living with the illness, advocates say.

The Village in Langley, B.C., is designed after models in the U.S. and the Netherlands. It will be the first of its kind in the province offering independent accommodations, amenities and programming in a secure environment to a small group of seniors with dementia, supported by an almost equal number of specially trained staff.

Unlike long-term care facilities or large assisted living complexes, the village will consist of six residences with only 12 units in each, housing a total of up to 78 people on the 2.8-hectare site in order to foster a tight-knit community.

Project lead Elroy Jespersen said he saw a need for a facility where people didn’t feel “locked in” and could dictate what they did and how they go about their day.

That means going beyond providing for residents’ basic needs like housing, food and physical health care, he said.

“We really have to focus on their emotional well being and really say what can we do to enhance that and keep them functioning as a valued member of our community in a purposeful way and contributing to their community,” he said.

The Village won’t have strict routines and schedules, allowing residents to wake up and have breakfast when they please, and make use of a network of walkways, landscaping and gardens all within a secure perimeter.

A community centre on the site will offer the main gateway in and out of the Village.

The centre will include shops and spaces for programming that will be open to the public to make use of as well.

“We don’t want to be an isolated segregated island, but a village within the larger community,” Jespersen said.

Maria Howard, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society of B.C., said there is a significant need for this type of housing since much of what’s available isn’t designed for the unique needs of people with dementia.

An estimated 564,000 Canadians were living with dementia in 2016, and the Alzheimer’s Society predicts that with population growth and a pending wave of seniors, that number will rise to almost 940,000 people by 2031.

Howard said while most people opt to live at home for as long as they can, there is a shortage of programs and supports for people with dementia in communities.