There are currently 290,000 people in the Netherlands with dementia. This figure is set to double to half a million over the next 20 years. Dementia has a huge impact on people with the condition, their families, and on society at large. Various programmes and strategies focus on dementia, including scientific research into dementia and dementia care and support for people with dementia and their family caregivers. But how are these plans working in practice? Are we on the right track? Alzheimer Nederland has appointed Tamara van Ark as an independent dementia ombudsman to answer these (and other) questions. She started her job on 21 September, World Alzheimer Day. The urgency is not in question.
The dementia ombudsman has been brought in to speed things up by sharing best practices, by unifying, and by removing possible obstacles. Tamara Van Ark will spend a year travelling around the country, listening to stories and experiences at grassroots level. She will talk to people with dementia and their next-of-kin, healthcare insurers, municipalities, and healthcare professionals. She will report her findings transparently and in full, and publish her report to help all parties involved to move forwards. The number of care professionals and family caregivers is not keeping pace with the rising number of people with dementia. So it is up to us as a society to prepare for the near future by improving the quality of dementia care, while keeping a close eye on the costs, notes Alzheimer Nederland.
Gerjoke Wilmink, director of Alzheimer Nederland, said: “We want to push forward, make haste, which is why Alzheimer Nederland has appointed an independent dementia ombudsman. She will take a long, hard look at what is really going on, so that we can address points of concern and learn from success stories.” Programmes and strategies are already in place, about living with dementia, using technology, quality assurance for professional care and a dementia-friendly society. But what is really going on, and what can we learn from it?
Tamara van Ark said: “There are plenty of societal agreements and programmes focusing on dementia. Alzheimer Nederland itself has a long-term strategy and is investing in research and support. It’s time that parties such as government bodies, healthcare insurers and housing corporations joined forces to support these programmes. Dementia is a challenge to the whole of society. We need each other. I think it’s high time we found out whether the plans and programmes that we’ve put in place are really working for people with dementia and their families.”
