June krijgt jeugdlintje voor hulp aan zieke mensen

What is a Dutch “Alzheimer café”?

The Alzheimer café is a Dutch community-care format invented in Leiden in 1997 by psychogeriatrician Bère Miesen. The concept is simple: people with dementia and their families gather monthly in a public space (a community center, library, café) for coffee, an informal lecture from a healthcare professional, and unstructured conversation. The model spread across the Netherlands within a decade and exported globally; there are now Alzheimer cafés in over twenty countries. Run mostly by Alzheimer Nederland chapters and volunteers, the Alzheimer café sits at the centre of Dutch community-based dementia care.

In this clip, a young volunteer explains her role: “Dit is het Alzheimer café. Hier zijn mensen die dementie hebben.” She brings them coffee and tea.