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Village Alzheimer: a new response to the needs of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease
‘Village Alzheimer’ in Landes is a project designed to care for people suffering from Alzheimer-type neurodegenerative diseasesand similar conditions. It’s an original project that aims to allow residents to continue enjoying their lifestyle in a secure environment. Maintaining a social life and a non-pharmacological approach are encouraged.
The support offered in the Village complements the system of care provided in Landes to people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
This major project, launched in 2013, has broken new ground: the Government is going to announce its financial commitment. In addition, several candidates in the towns of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan have applied to host the Village in their area.
A place of innovation in patient care
The Village is designed to allow residents to continue living at home in a secure environment in small housing units. It’s about maintaining the individual’s life skills as much as possible. Maintaining social connections, thanks especially to the involvement of volunteers, should allow for a type of support that is different from that provided in institutions.
Families will also be given a new role.
This Village is intended to be a place of innovation where other institutions or home support services can get help or discover new models of care. It should be a resource centre for all medical and social care professionals as well as carers. A medical research partnership is being considered with Bordeaux medical school. This village could be used to trial non-pharmacological treatment methods for the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease in Landes: an overview
The number of patients in France is estimated at between 850,000 and 1,000,000. This figure comes from a PAQUID study of elderly people in Aquitaine based mainly on an extrapolation of observations made in Gironde and Dordogne. The main risk factor remains ‘age’. As the population ages, the number of cases increases.
In Landes, the number of people suffering from this or similar diseases is around 8,000. This number refers to sufferers of diseases that can be grouped together under the label ‘dementia’. However, the figures for people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are still unclear. Of the 8,000 Landes residents suffering from these conditions:
- 3,500 live in institutions;
- 4,500 live at home.
Since the main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is ageing, the number of sufferers is likely to change over time. Indeed, Landes has experienced one of the highest rates of population growth in Aquitaine (average annual increase of 1.5%). In addition, various population studies show that the proportion of people aged 75 and above will rise sharply in the coming years. Insee [the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies] estimates, using the Omphale model, that the proportion of over-75s will be 18% of the total population by 2040, compared to 10.9% in 2010.
