DVA De Hogeweyk
De Hogeweyk provides care to patients with severe dementia. The vision focuses on salutogenesis. De Hogeweyk is designed as a normal residential area, so that residents feel they are living normal, everyday lives. They go shopping at the supermarket, get together with family and friends in the café and the restaurant, and they participate in clubs.
A delightful park, a theatre plaza, an alley with linden trees, small gardens, a pond, and a fountain make up 50% of the grounds. Residents can experience the seasons and find their own spot. This supports the facility’s vision of salutogenesis and the level of functioning of severely demented residents.
People with dementia have difficulty in making sense of the world around them. It makes them anxious, sad or aggressive. An environment in harmony with the resident’s salutogenesis eliminates many of these emotions and focuses on health.
They would otherwise live in a traditional nursing home in a closed ward. De Hogeweyk provides safety to the severely demented so they can feel at peace in familiar surroundings. Residents are stimulated to live normal lives – they can forget the misery of dementia. De Hogeweyk allows residents to enjoy unlimited fresh air and nature in familiar surroundings.
De Hogeweyk is a low-rise building that covers 130 x 95 metres of land. It forms a circle around the outdoor areas with a single, central entrance from outside the grounds. The main path takes you to a garden, pathway, park and 2 plazas. Architect Roozen landscaped each outdoor area with different plants, trees and paved areas. This is important for residents with dementia, so that they can find a place where they feel comfortable. There are 23 homes and each one looks a little different. They depict the unique aspects of the facility’s vision of care, which is further shaped by the differences in furnishings, daily routines and each group’s sense of etiquette. The building and the vision on care are inextricably interconnected for more added value.
Six residents with dementia live in each home, a normal home like many others in the Netherlands. The professional team organises the household: shopping, cooking and laundry. Residents are made to feel they are leading normal lives with regular household duties. This team plays an intrinsic role in all activities to de-emphasize dementia. The team emphasizes things that are going well (salutogenesis).
This approach provides a world that a person with dementia can understand. It gives them consistency so that they can experience life without having to feel bad about the things they can no longer do.
De Hogeweyk allows residents to participate in professionally led clubs, attend a concert, and go to the market, the restaurant, the café or the beauty salon. The community is encouraged to participate in normal life at De Hogeweyk, such as attending a concert, visiting the restaurant or an art exhibition.
The supermarket is also a part of normal life. The residents shop for household items and meals. Instead of logistics there is an inspirational working environment with fun and familiar activities for residents. Being outdoors promotes health of staff and residents alike.
All staff are responsible for safety. They know how to help residents who are puzzled or in a situation they do not understand. Staff treat the residents with respect so that residents feel good about themselves despite their dementia.
Adults develop their own lifestyle. Lifestyle shapes your life. Your lifestyle choices do not go away if you suffer from dementia when you are older. There are 7 lifestyles at De Hogeweyk. Each home has a group of people with similar lifestyles. Food choices and preparation methods, etiquette, music and common activities play a key role in a person’s chosen lifestyle.
The living environment we create helps family members and volunteers participate in activities with the residents. Everyone can help by having a cup of coffee, shopping and cooking, because these are the same activities people do at home. Family members can return to a normal role in the life of their demented family member.
Many different design materials are used. This “common” design is ideal for people with dementia. Artists from Weesp provide artwork for exhibitions at De Hogeweyk. Their paintings and statues are on display throughout the project.
The design is based on the qualities of any historical grown town or village. These are: squares, streets, gardens, buildings and water. And how the design can add to the vision on care.
The building design and structure are also suitable for residency by other target groups and private citizens. All homes have their own services (energy).
For more information, see dedicated website
A delightful park, a theatre plaza, an alley with linden trees, small gardens, a pond, and a fountain make up 50% of the grounds. Residents can experience the seasons and find their own spot. This supports the facility’s vision of salutogenesis and the level of functioning of severely demented residents.
People with dementia have difficulty in making sense of the world around them. It makes them anxious, sad or aggressive. An environment in harmony with the resident’s salutogenesis eliminates many of these emotions and focuses on health.
They would otherwise live in a traditional nursing home in a closed ward. De Hogeweyk provides safety to the severely demented so they can feel at peace in familiar surroundings. Residents are stimulated to live normal lives – they can forget the misery of dementia. De Hogeweyk allows residents to enjoy unlimited fresh air and nature in familiar surroundings.
De Hogeweyk is a low-rise building that covers 130 x 95 metres of land. It forms a circle around the outdoor areas with a single, central entrance from outside the grounds. The main path takes you to a garden, pathway, park and 2 plazas. Architect Roozen landscaped each outdoor area with different plants, trees and paved areas. This is important for residents with dementia, so that they can find a place where they feel comfortable. There are 23 homes and each one looks a little different. They depict the unique aspects of the facility’s vision of care, which is further shaped by the differences in furnishings, daily routines and each group’s sense of etiquette. The building and the vision on care are inextricably interconnected for more added value.
Six residents with dementia live in each home, a normal home like many others in the Netherlands. The professional team organises the household: shopping, cooking and laundry. Residents are made to feel they are leading normal lives with regular household duties. This team plays an intrinsic role in all activities to de-emphasize dementia. The team emphasizes things that are going well (salutogenesis).
This approach provides a world that a person with dementia can understand. It gives them consistency so that they can experience life without having to feel bad about the things they can no longer do.
De Hogeweyk allows residents to participate in professionally led clubs, attend a concert, and go to the market, the restaurant, the café or the beauty salon. The community is encouraged to participate in normal life at De Hogeweyk, such as attending a concert, visiting the restaurant or an art exhibition.
The supermarket is also a part of normal life. The residents shop for household items and meals. Instead of logistics there is an inspirational working environment with fun and familiar activities for residents. Being outdoors promotes health of staff and residents alike.
All staff are responsible for safety. They know how to help residents who are puzzled or in a situation they do not understand. Staff treat the residents with respect so that residents feel good about themselves despite their dementia.
Adults develop their own lifestyle. Lifestyle shapes your life. Your lifestyle choices do not go away if you suffer from dementia when you are older. There are 7 lifestyles at De Hogeweyk. Each home has a group of people with similar lifestyles. Food choices and preparation methods, etiquette, music and common activities play a key role in a person’s chosen lifestyle.
The living environment we create helps family members and volunteers participate in activities with the residents. Everyone can help by having a cup of coffee, shopping and cooking, because these are the same activities people do at home. Family members can return to a normal role in the life of their demented family member.
Many different design materials are used. This “common” design is ideal for people with dementia. Artists from Weesp provide artwork for exhibitions at De Hogeweyk. Their paintings and statues are on display throughout the project.
The design is based on the qualities of any historical grown town or village. These are: squares, streets, gardens, buildings and water. And how the design can add to the vision on care.
The building design and structure are also suitable for residency by other target groups and private citizens. All homes have their own services (energy).
For more information, see dedicated website
Project information
- Client: Vivium Zorggroep, Huizen-NL
- Role DVA: Translation care vision into build environment together with Buro Kade
- User: Hogeweyk Nursing Home
- Location: Weesp-NL
- Design: Buro Kade, 's-Hertogenbosch-NL
- Completion: 2008, extension 2018
- # Units: 165
