Caregiver Support at Odensehuis Amersfoort: Sharing Knowledge, Finding Understanding

After more than six months of preparation, Christel Ruesen, Marieke Driessen and Frederike Veldhuis opened Odensehuis Amersfoort on Landgoed Blom in November 2024 — a major milestone for this citizens' initiative. The Odensehuis is a warm, informal meeting place set in the green of the Bokkeduinen, where people with a 'haperend brein' (a brain that falters) and their loved ones can simply be themselves, grounded in the core values of 'self-direction', 'equality' and 'making the most of everyone's talents'. It is a volunteer-run organisation, supported by a single professional role.

“Caring for yourself gives energy back — essential to keep going as a caregiver.”

The motto is Voluit leven: living fully. Anyone can walk in — coffee, a good conversation, and the relief of being around people who understand what a faltering brain does. There are beautiful walks on the estate, too. People can garden, share lunch, listen to and make music, exercise with the Krachtbrein programme, attend talks and get creative — all in the kind of unhurried company that builds social contact and structure into the week. The doors are open every Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 to 16:00.

It quickly became clear that for caregivers of people with dementia, practical knowledge, information and understanding are indispensable. Caring for a loved one with dementia takes patience, skill and a listening ear. Many push their own needs aside, when caring for yourself is exactly what gives energy back — essential to keep going as a caregiver. Odensehuis Amersfoort now wants to start a monthly guided conversation group specifically for caregivers, led by a trained facilitator who makes space for sharing experiences without judgment. Alongside this group, a regularly recurring caregiver course offers practical tools for dealing with dementia. Topics range from changing communication, sensory processing and responding to changed behaviour, to finding your way through the care system, knowing where to find help, and caring well for yourself.

The budget is modest and the plan is ready. Within two months at the latest of reaching the first milestone, the first conversation group can start: the venue is secured, the facilitators are trained, and the community is waiting. Odensehuis Amersfoort has ANBI status; every euro is spent transparently and publicly accounted for. What is needed now is the financial foundation for a full year of operations to support caregivers of people with dementia.