The dignity that is never forgotten: hope blossoming in the memory village

Living with a condition of cognitive decline: we often think it is a road leading to emptiness, a “desert” of losses. Yet, at the Meeting of Rimini, a radical question arose: is a person defined by their illness?

Dementia, although profoundly impactful, does not erase the “core essence” of an individual. A path of hope can and must be built, made up of relationships and environments that embrace life.

But it is not only a matter of care. Professor Patrizia Mecocci, director of the Department of Geriatrics at the University of Perugia, brought a breath of hope by speaking about prevention.

The forecasts are worrying: nearly 140 million people worldwide are expected to suffer from cognitive decline by 2050, due to population aging. New drugs exist, but they can help only a small portion of patients.

Fortunately, the solution does not lie in a pill alone. Some studies have already shown that the number of new cases of dementia in Great Britain is decreasing. This result is linked to a healthier lifestyle, including less smoking and alcohol consumption, better diet, and more physical activity. Dementia is not the child of a single cause, but of many co-factors also tied to how we live.

Almost half of cognitive decline cases could be prevented by acting on 14 risk factors. These are not only physical aspects but also social: loneliness, for example, increases risk. Prevention, therefore, cannot be only an individual responsibility. Society itself must help people live healthily, offering affordable quality food or safe sidewalks. General practitioners, moreover, must stop being mere prescribers of medications and become guides toward a healthier lifestyle.

When a dementia diagnosis is received, attention immediately focuses on what is missing: failing memory, reduced language, the loss of orientation. But as Professor Rabih Chattat reminded us, this is only part of the story. Alongside losses, there are always abilities that remain intact. They are not “residual,” but “preserved,” and they are the key to a fuller life.

A piece of music, a touch, the smell of a favorite food can open a door to a person’s inner world, even in the most advanced stages. If a daughter is called “mom” by her sick mother, perhaps it is not a mistake, but rather a recognition of the deep bond of care that unites them. A person’s identity is rooted in their history and personality, which do not disappear with the disease.

Why confine a person with dementia to a cold, hospital-like environment?

Marco Predazzi, founder of the Fondazione Il Melo Onlus, highlighted how traditional care environments are not designed for a life that may last years, but rather to anticipate an end.

The answer, according to him, lies in Alzheimer’s villages. Not a metaphor, but an authentic possibility. These are places where life is not dictated by the rigid schedules of an institution, but by the personal rhythms of the resident. Daily activities, such as cooking or caring for an animal, become true therapies. The most effective stimulation is that of real life.

There are many benefits of an environment that restores life:

• Return to daily life: Domestic life replaces hospital efficiency.
• Open areas and socialization: Villages are integrated into the urban fabric, encouraging encounters with the community, such as nurseries or elementary schools.
• Personalized care: Different housing solutions exist for the various stages of the disease.
• Operators as “hosts”: No longer head nurses, but people who manage the home as a therapeutic opportunity.

The challenge is enormous. Isolation and stigma can worsen the effects of the disease. This is why it is crucial for society to become a dementia-friendly community. Our reaction—even a simple gesture, like that of a bartender—can make the difference.

After all, as revealed by people with dementia who were interviewed, living well means continuing to participate in social life and to feel part of the community. Building “new bricks” means embracing this mission: showing that having dementia is not the end of everything, but a new path to walk, where dignity and hope can still flourish.