Summer camp brings together children of parents with young dementia: ‘Here they can let go’

The Maalderie in Houthulst has been a meeting place for young people who have grown up with a parent with early onset dementia. With summer camp, Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen wants to bring injured teammates together in a warm environment. “This way they can let go of all their worries for a while.”

De Maalderie, at Terreststraat 128, is a unique square farm house from 1922, a vacation home to Cottages And stablesas they put it. In this unique context, the Alzheimer’s Association organized a special camp this week.

“This summer camp, the first of its kind in Flanders, provided a safe haven for young people struggling with questions about how to cope with the changes their parents are going through due to the onset of dementia in young adulthood,” says Krisje Turdwar of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Workshops, activities and in-depth conversations helped them not only better understand themselves, but also find their place within a community of their peers. The camp not only provided a place to connect, but also showed the importance of understanding and supporting families dealing with early dementia. Because growing up with one “Parenting with early-onset dementia is not easy. When you see the participants arrive, you immediately feel that we can offer them added value that they can’t find anywhere else.”

Thanks to this summer camp, young people can meet peers who are going through the same thing, who know the needs and problems that young people experience when faced with Alzheimer’s disease and childhood dementia.

“The connection that is established here is much deeper and adds meaning,” says Tine Kenens of the Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen. “It is a bond that is sometimes difficult to find in everyday life. Young people can let go of their fears here, but so can the healthy parents who come with them. This is the essence of the bond: peer-to-peer connection. When dementia comes your way, it is always severe, but when “Illness appears early in life, the impact is different. Everything still changes at a young life stage, and their identity is still forming. They don’t always see themselves as little caregivers, but this camp gives them space to grow, to share and to be together.”

friendships

The fact that the friendships forged here are really deep proves that many of the young people already know each other from camp last year and have kept in touch with each other. “What the League does for us is very cool and interesting,” says the young people.

This initiative was made possible by the generous donations received by Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen. The league wants to offer youth a camp without any financial burden on their families, who are already struggling. (ACK)