When 24-year-old Teun Toebes took a job as a researcher after graduating with a care ethics degree, affordable housing options were few and far between. He decided to move into a room at an elderly care facility in a small town in the Netherlands, where he lives alongside 130 dementia patients. Toebes became fast friends with the facility residents, his closest pal being a 78-year-old named Ad. Upon moving in, Toebes was taken aback by the many restrictions and protocols that left the facility feeling more like a hospital than a home. Toebes has made it his mission to bring a sense of comfort to the elderly residents by hosting birthday parties, Friday drink events, camping nights, and excursions for residents to visit their children. The experience has inspired Toebes to advocate for improved dementia care and he is now researching new care methods that put the comfort of the elderly at the forefront.
Image via Positive News
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