Innovative Seniors Housing and Care Models: What We Can Learn from the Netherlands

This report highlights some innovative seniors housing and care practices from the Netherlands. The first is the Humanitas Apartments for Life, where if and when residents need assisted living or nursing facility level care, it is brought to them, thereby eliminating stigma and relocation issues. The second is the unique dementia village of De Hogeweyk. Both models have specific physical design elements and philosophies that support them and use "small houses" for severe dementia care. Finally, the general approach of community integration that seems to naturally permeate senior living facilities is discussed. This integration takes the form of offering services, such as home care, to the wider community as well as having businesses in the facility that make neighbors feel welcome