KarunaNews Story

Of the eight people who approached a fragrant carpet of lavender in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag gallery, four had dementia and four were their relatives and carers. The new Art Connection tour, which is scheduled for the last Friday afternoon of every month, was inspired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York’s Alzheimer’s Project. It is part of a larger push to adapt Dutch society as one in three women and one in seven men are diagnosed with dementia. Alzheimer Nederland's free, online training videos about signs of Alzheimer’s have been seen by more than 600,000 people. Other examples are multilingual awareness programs for city workers and taxi drivers, Alzheimer’s cafes for old and young, and a “participation choir” initiative that matches singers with dementia with two supportive buddies, who help them find their way in the songbook.