ADN in Swakopmund

ADN was founded in 2010 by Berrie Holtzhausen, and since 2018, he has led the dementia center together with his daughter Sufrani. Swakopmund is located on the coast and in the middle of the oldest desert in the world. Over those 16 years, ADN has developed a progressive vision. For instance, no registered nurses work here, antipsychotic medication is prohibited, and people with dementia live in freedom and dignity.

ADN (Alzheimer Dementia Namibia)

Berrie was born in Omaruru, a small town in the middle of Namibia. He grew up there and later went to work as a pastor in South Africa. Later, Berrie returned to Namibia, and on one of his travels in the north of Namibia, he found Ndjinaa. She was tied to a pole inside a tent and was severely malnourished. According to her family, she was bewitched, which had made them afraid of her. She exhibited strange behavior…

Naturally, Berrie did not believe in witches, and after observing her for a while, he recognized the symptoms of dementia. He told the family about dementia and what it does to a person. That she is ill and needs to be helped with love. That she is still their loving mother, sister, and grandmother, and in this way, he was able to liberate her through the transfer of knowledge.

Berrie was allowed to take her with him, and thus Ndjinaa became the first resident of ADN.

This is Ndjinaa now

14 years later, we were also able to meet her, and considering the circumstances, she is doing well.

 

Since its inception, Berrie has delved into dementia and all its different forms. He studied the impact it has on the person living with the diagnosis and on the care provided. He explored how best to care for people living with various forms of dementia. To this end, Berrie traveled the world and learned a great deal from researchers, neuroscientists, and healthcare professionals. But above all, he discovered that it is primarily love. Love for the human being, the person behind the mask of dementia. Love, patience, empathy, and respect.

– ADN Knowledge Center

The dementia center is an oasis of calm. Multiple buildings have been developed on a 16-hectare plot of land. Not only do people with dementia live here, but the care staff as well. This is very common in Namibia due to the enormous distances. Just like in the Netherlands, they work in various shifts, and in their free time, they return to the villages where their families live.

It is striking that it does not look at all like a care home as we know it in the Netherlands. Doors are never locked, there are thresholds everywhere, and you enter various rooms through different doors. The steps are still there, and outside there are various labyrinths. On Saturdays, people light the BBQ themselves and grill the meat for everyone.

Knowledge and Training

With this knowledge, Berrie, in collaboration with Sufrani, has developed a training program for the staff. Staff they select based on their motivation, attitude, and cultural values. In other words, without specific prior training in healthcare. This training is provided internally by, among others, Augusta. She started 15 years ago as a cleaner at the center and has worked her way up over all those years to become a supervisor with an enormous amount of knowledge about the different forms of dementia and how to deal with them. This example inspires us and deserves to be shared.

From the very beginning, the use of antipsychotics has been prohibited. These medications have a major negative influence on the progression of the disease and strip people of their personality. There are several examples where new residents were admitted who could barely walk or talk anymore. According to the doctors, they were already very far along in the disease process and had only a very short time left to live. Under the supervision of the ADN doctor, the antipsychotic medication was tapered down to zero, and after a while, they were able to walk and talk again. One of them is Ria, and we have met and spoken with her. This process has been documented daily in a diary and tells the beautiful story of Ria, who was given up on and now, 2 years later, walks around in her own world and cracks jokes.

We have therefore seen with our own eyes the result this has led to. The people here live in harmony with nature and are fully seen as the person they have always been. With this project, we aim to capture ADN’s vision and working methods, document them scientifically, and above all, make them known to the world. To share and inspire. To this end, we will be collaborating with various universities in the Netherlands. Advanced discussions are already underway regarding this, and as soon as it is possible, we will share more about it.

The story of Ria

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