After a dementia diagnosis, the focus often seems to be on loss and decline. However, the new Rotterdam campaign Dementzie aims to change that. Through personal stories, the campaign shows that there are actually plenty of opportunities for a meaningful and active life with dementia.
‘Let’s encourage each other to see people with dementia for who they are,’ is the core message. It’s not the limitations that are central, but the opportunities, talents, and joy of life that still exist.
Gardening and Painting
Dementzie shares experiences of Rotterdam residents living with early-stage dementia. Like Mrs. Almeida. ‘I still paint every week in the art studio,’ she says. ‘There I can express myself, be creative, and meet others. It gives me freedom and satisfaction. I live with early-stage dementia, but painting helps me to remain myself.’
Also, Maja does not let herself be held back: ‘I still work every week in my garden. I take care of my flowers and plants and pick blackberries that I deliver to people in the neighborhood. That gives me joy and contact with others. For me, dementia does not mean I have to stop doing the things I love.’
Volunteering
For Victor, the diagnosis also does not mean the end of his passions: ‘I volunteer every week at the museum. I now use my experience as a visual arts teacher to inspire others. What I enjoy most is helping people to look at art in their own way. And that label, you just throw it in the trash, is my message. Do what you enjoy, what you find beautiful. That is important.’
More Understanding and Opportunities
With the campaign, the municipality of Rotterdam aims to create more awareness and understanding. Because people with dementia are more than their diagnosis. They can and still want to participate, contribute, and enjoy life.
City Newspaper
This article appears in the most recent City Newspaper. Link opens an external page, a publication of the municipality of Rotterdam. The City Newspaper has been published since 1976 and contains 3 city pages and 2 neighborhood pages. It is published 23 times a year and appears every 2 weeks on Thursday as an insert in the free local newspapers De Havenloods, Nieuwsblad Rozenburg, and Nieuwsblad Hoek van Holland. Total circulation: nearly 300,000.
Didn’t receive the newspaper? Report a delivery complaint here. Link opens an external page (De Havenloods) or here. Link opens an external page (Hoek van Holland and Rozenburg) or pick it up at a pickup point. Link opens an external page.
