Future of an Ageing Population

International Case Study: De Hogeweyk, Netherlands
Dementia is age-related and it is currently thought that 40% of people
aged 85 and over will develop dementia and be in need of long-term
care 118 . The Netherlands has several examples of residential care for people
with dementia, carefully designed to offer a more home-like, normal and
enjoyable experience. Opened in 2008, De Hogeweyk is a dementia care
facility, modelled as a village or neighbourhood.
De Hogeweyk has its main accommodation around the edge and contains
an area of streets, squares, alleyways, gardens and a park, within which the
residents with dementia can move safely and securely. The 152 residents
are organised as 23 households, each made up of six or seven residents
and containing a kitchen, and dining and living areas. Each household has
a dedicated team of six to eight staff who work two at a time, helping and
caring. Communal facilities include shops, cafes, a theatre and a traditional
Dutch pub.
Residents have an average age of 84 and usually live in De Hogeweyk
until death. Each place costs ¤5,800 (£4,500) per month, paid for by the
Dutch long-term care insurance scheme and resident contributions up to
a maximum of ¤2,400 (£1,850) per month 119 .
4.5 Smarter homes for work
In the future, home-working is likely to become more common. This will be
driven by significant changes in the labour market, for example growing rates
of self-employment 49 (see Chapter 2). Older people are particularly likely to
work from home (see Figure 4.5). Evidence suggests that home-working and
other forms of flexible working help older people to remain in work and balance
competing responsibilities such as care.
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