How “Dementia Villages” Work

Eloy van Hal is part of a team of designers who are reimagining and reengineering elder care with their facility in The Netherlands, Hogeweyk, nicknamed the “dementia village.”

Traditional nursing homes often feel like hospitals, the staff wears uniforms, and nearly every patient receives treatment through the same program. Van Hal’s goal is not just about deinstitutionalizing senior living but changing the physical design to feel more like regular life. Watch as he describes his team’s vision, that changing the architecture will increase the quality of life for those with severe dementia.