This 'City' for People With Dementia Is the Future of Memory Care

Nord Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark, is building a series of nursing communities for persons with Alzheimer's and dementia that feel more like villages or cities, reports Fast Company . The design also is being adopted elsewhere in Europe and the United States. One "Alzheimer's Village" Nord is constructing in France is arranged into small neighborhoods oriented around shared services that will be open to the public, a decision that helps integrate the nursing community into the town of Dax. The design, with small groups of apartments and a series of more central villages, mirrors the layout and look of the surrounding French towns. "It's very much about creating a noninstitutional atmosphere that is based on the traditions of the local architectural works," says Nord partner Morten Gregersen. He suggests being in an environment that is similar to what they are used to could ease residents' transition from at-home living to a care community. "As their cognitive level slowly degenerates and their ability to read new things disappears, they relate to things they know much better, and things they knew in their childhood," Gregersen notes. "All of these things need to be incorporated into the design so we don't create places where people get lost and confused." In Denmark, Nord is planning a sprawling, village-like nursing community on a hillside featuring two inner courtyards, so residents can go outside without staff needing to worry about them getting lost.