2. Towards a dementia-friendly Flanders Dementia Plan Flanders 2010 – 2014 Department of Welfare, public health and family

3. The whole population is involved… Today there are 100.000 people with dementia in Flanders > 2 / 3 are living at home > 1.800 young persons with dementia > Increase of 30% in 2020 Dementia is a matter that concerns the whole society > Almost everyone knows someone with dementia > All governments are concerned > The stakeholders in the care sector

4. Some important developments in the Flemish care sector … > Socialization of care > Focus on autonomy, informal care, volunteers, home care > Holistic view on care: an answer on both physical, social and mental needs > Integrated care – ‘decompartmentalisation’ > Respect for human dignity

5. Need for a Dementia Plan Flanders … > Goal = a dementia-friendly Flanders > Initiative of the Flemish Ministery of Welfare, Public Health and Family > Plan for 2010 – 2014 with different objectives and actions

6. Actions and objectives of the plan (1) Destigmatization and nuanced image building > Socialization of care means that society is open for people with dementia > A negative image leads to isolation and a not adapted care ACTIONS > Awareness-raising campaign > Promotion of dementia-friendly municipalities

7. Actions and objectives of the plan (2) Health promotion: a healthy mind in a healthy body > Dementia has different causes > A healthy life style means prevention of dementia, for the moment the only possible way… ACTIONS > Recommendations for general practitioners for preventive medical control > Stimulation of an active lifestyle for elderly > Coordination of research projects (Flanders Care)

8. Actions and objectives of the plan (3) More autonomy for the persons involved and support for the informal care > Striving for more participation for persons with dementia and their informal carers ACTIONS > Support for self-organizations > Monitoring of participation in residential care + developing of residential care (short stay, day care centers, social services, home help, …) > Developing an integrated provision > …

9. Actions and objectives of the plan (4) Improving diagnosis > A big gap between determination first symptoms and start of treatment and support ACTIONS > Updated code of practice for GP’s > Better inform population among other things via centres of expertise for dementia…

10. Actions and objectives of the plan (5) Housing facilities for people with dementia > Focus on home environment and on living on a small scale ACTIONS > Use of new technologies > Stimulate dementia-friendly building and housing

11. Actions and objectives of the plan (6) An integrated care that is affordable, sufficient and client centered > Continuous Training for the social workers > Support for the informal carers through expanding of the home care ACTIONS > Screening of the actual training > Use of volunteers in the home care > Day care centers, short stay

12. Actions and objectives of the plan (7) Early planning of palliative and end of life care > Better inform the population on existing legislation and care possibilities in the palliative phase Special attention to ‘forgotten groups’ > Younger people with dementia, immigrants, poor people, people with disabilities Innovation via Science and Research

13. Knowlegde Center Social Europe Jos Sterckx, director m +32 477 44 97 14 t +32 2 205 00 47 jos.sterckx@kcse.be www.kcse.be Mr. Jo Vandeurzen Flemish Minister for Welfare, Public Health and Family Walter Brusselaers, Advisor Elderly care walter.brusselaers@vlaanderen.be, walter.brusselaers@vlaanderen.be +32 2 552 64 00 www.ministerjovandeurzen.be www.zorg-en-gezondheid.be CONTACT