On July 23, 2021, the municipality of Nuenen c.a. asked the ASD to give its advice on the Dementia Friendly Nuenen 2021-2025 memorandum. On July 27, 2021, the ASD issued its recommendations on the memorandum in writing. Given the short time frame and the vacation period, it was not possible to issue an opinion. Nevertheless, you responded extensively and made recommendations. Thank you very much for this.

Below is our response to your recommendations. Our response always follows below the recommendations issued by you. This uses the literal text from your response.

Opinions and reactions

1. Recommendation: Encourage that the working group, given its central and major role, is balanced in composition. Certainly the target group that the paper seeks to reach should be represented. Otherwise they will be talked about and not decided with.

1. Response:We have adopted this recommendation and articulated it in the policy document. We agree with the ASD that we want to actively involve the target group in policy development and implementation. This is how we give shape to the principle 'nothing about us, without us'.

2. Recommendation: Formulate more clearly what goals the municipality expects the working group should achieve. Leave it free to choose the path to those goals and provide it with the support and necessary resources to do so.

2. Response:We have accepted this recommendation in part and articulated it in part in the policy memorandum. We have included a number of policy goals and indicators in the note. Before we provide financial resources for the implementation of activities, the goal and scope must be determined in advance. We do this in collaboration with the Working Group Dementia Friendly Nuenen and the GGD Brabant-Zuidoost. Due to the fact that the working method is mainly project-based and relies on volunteers, we do not wish to lay this down too tightly in advance. This leaves more room for ideas from society. Together we will assess whether an activity reasonably contributes to the policy objectives.

3. Recommendation: There is a strong focus on those with dementia and how the environment should respond to them. But there is less or no focus on the environment, such as volunteers, family caregivers, stores, clubs and employers who need to start shaping that desired environment (pro bono). Awareness is being raised and that is good. But help and actual support to keep doing their difficult and sometimes arduous job (informal caregivers) well is less clearly elaborated.

Recommendation: elaborate on this essential phase or explicitly ask the working group to elaborate on this phase.

3. Response: We have not adopted this recommendation because it is already expressed in the policy document. The memorandum was created thanks to cooperation with entrepreneurs / center management, the cultural field, the LEV group, the GGD Brabant Zuidoost and the working group Dementia Friendly Nuenen. The activities in the memorandum focus on the groups and places you have outlined. In addition, we explicitly make the connection with the informal care policy and appeal to the volunteer point. Residents in need of help, Health or support can contact the CMD, more specifically: for informal caregivers this is the Steunpunt Mantelzorg and for volunteers this is the vrijwilligerspunt Nuenen.

4. Recommendation: Ask all members of the working group if they recognize themselves in the tasks listed and if they have sufficient time and energy to be able and willing to perform these tasks well.

4. Response: We have already done this to a large extent. The working group started out full of good and fresh energy after work had been halted for some time due to the corona pandemic. The working group as a whole reaffirmed the principles of the previous memorandum and then put together a delegation who actively thought through the policy. They helped bring this memorandum to fruition. The entire working group has also explicitly expressed the desire to be primarily executive. We are also working on project-based activities. So residents from outside the workgroup are also involved, but their input will be more incidental. Workgroup members play a more structural role in policy development and implementation. Finally, working group members have committed themselves to one of the three committees within the working group. As a result, activities largely align with the personal interests of working group members.

5. Recommendation: Analyze the overlap between these three policies in terms of their use and support of the limited group of residents who will have to perform the requested tasks. Are the three independent supports needed? Is it convenient to allocate budgets firmly among these three notes? And who will coordinate these three domains?

5. Response:We have partially adopted this recommendation and partially articulated it in the policy paper. Our municipality has two support points. One support center for volunteers and one support center for family caregivers, there is no support center for dementia. Because of the big difference between volunteers and caregivers a separate support point is justified. What we will do, however, is to conduct the informal care needs survey and the dementia panel survey in Nuenen in conjunction. This has also been adopted in the policy document. The official coordination lies with one official who is responsible for the policy files you mentioned.

The survey reveals that residents expressly request more fine spaces in nursing and care homes. The paper does not address this.

6. Recommendation: Do. Offer the prospect that if things really can no longer be done at home, there is help to make a smooth transition to a nursing home or assisted living facility. Then family caregivers will last longer.

6. Response:We have taken this recommendation and articulated it in the policy paper. We have worded this extensively under spearhead 3. There is a residential care memorandum in Nuenen in which parties such as Helpt Elkander, tenants' interest groups, associations for the elderly, Archipel and the municipality are thinking, developing plans and actions in the area of residential care, among other things.

7. Recommendation: Health that the working group be aware of these and make use of their knowledge and insights.

7. Response:We have taken this recommendation and articulated it in the policy paper. We have worded this extensively under spearhead 3. The official representative in the working group Dementia Friendly Nuenen c.a. also participates in the Health health platform in which the above parties are represented. This guarantees a good exchange of information.

Continued

The memo will be discussed in the Committee on Society of the Municipality of Nuenen on September 15. Any response from the committee will be incorporated into the memo. The advice of the ASD and this letter will be attached to the memorandum so that the committee can include the advice or not in their response. Adoption of the memo is done by the City Council. When the City Council has adopted the policy document Dementia Friendly Nuenen 2021-2025, the Advisory Council will be informed.