Queen Máxima will honour the 35th anniversary of Alzheimer Nederland with a visit to Alzheimer Trefpunt De Til in Giessenburg on Tuesday, 10 September.
Since 1997 Alzheimer Nederland has set up 246 cafés or “trefpunt” around the country where patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals can come together for a monthly meeting to talk about living with dementia and make connections in a relaxed and safe atmosphere. The Queen will meet with some of these patients and caregivers in September, along with the director of Alzheimer Nederland, Gerjoke Wilmink. During her visit, the first golden forget-me-not will be presented to a golden volunteer from the organisation by Wilmink.
“We are delighted that Queen Máxima wants to honour us with a visit because of our 35th anniversary,” said Wilmink. “And we are happy that it is in a place where the people we stand up for are present.”
Queen Máxima has visited a special residential community for people with dementia in the Netherlands called De Hogeweyk, and brought Queen Silvia of Sweden there on a 2014 trip by the Swedish King and Queen. Queen Silvia has a special interest in dementia, as her mother suffered from the condition.
Approximately 280,000 people have dementia in the Netherlands and Alzheimer Nederland, which was founded in 1984, is focused on working toward a future without Alzheimer’s as well as improving the quality of life for current patients. The organisation employs 90 people in its head office in Amersfoort and provides a range of services for those with dementia and their caregivers, as well as fundraising for scientific research to help find a cure for the disease.
September is World Alzheimer’s Month and The Queen’s visit to the Alzheimer Trefpunt in Giessenburg will kick off a series of events organized by Alzheimer Nederland to honour World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September. The theme of this year’s day is ‘Moving Together’.
