There is a fake village with fake shops and fake restaurants that is actually a care home for elderly dementia sufferers in the Netherlands.

The facility goes by the name Hogeway, but commonly referred to as Dementia Village given that it is home to over 150 residents, all of whom suffer from severe dementia. It started as an experiment 20 years ago, with some criticizing the move. But the end result is amazing nevertheless.

 

Hogeway offers its patients what you would call a ‘normal’ life, given the circumstances…It comprises of fake restaurants, fake shops, and even a fake hair salon. These businesses are meant to give the patients suffering from dementia the impression that they’re living in a regular town surrounding. Those who work in Dementia Village are actual caregivers though.
There is no way out of Hogeway, save for a door that is always under lock and key, quite literally, with around the clock surveillance. The concept seems to work, as the nurses and doctors who work there have noted that the patients do indeed take fewer medications as compared to those living in the normal world, and tend to be in much better health generally. Other countries around the world are looking to borrow a leaf from Dementia Village so as to provide better care for people suffering from dementia.