caring support. When their daughter was playing hockey in Europe, they made a side trip to Holland to tour the De Hogeweyk ‘dementia village.’ Crossmount has partnered with that organization to create the first De Hogeweyk-certified community in North America. “We can take care of every medical and health need in-home our residents may have, except for advanced dementia,” explains Heike. “So often a spouse will struggle as a caregiver because there is such a reluctance to put their loved one in ‘a place like that,’” she adds. “This will not be ‘a place like that.’” The concept is intended to offer ‘freedom of movement’ in a designed space that is familiar and engaging unlike an institutional medical model of care.The space helps people with dementia live more normally. It encourages family connections, supports ongoing interests, and helps seniors with familiar daily activities. The Village here will be based on the Holland model, but with some adaptations for people who live on the Canadian prairies. “Partnering with De Hogeweyk means we won't miss any key elements, but we will be gearing it for what is familiar to people here. In Europe, you have houses close together, and second floor walkups are more typical. But in Saskatchewan, we don’t often have row houses. We want to make sure it will be what people are familiar with.” Designed by Saskatoon Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture, the Village will grow in two phases, eventually home to 150 people. Groundwork is planned for this fall or next spring at the latest.The Village will take two years to complete. fall 2018 Saskatoon HOME
Crossmount features a variety of services open to both residents and the public, like a coffee shop, a cidery, and an events hall.
Apple orchards will soon supply the Crossmount cidery. In the meantime, produce is imported to meet the growing demand.
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