On 3 June 2021, Gerjoke Wilmink, director of Alzheimer Netherland, together with the Dutch National Railway (NS) president Marjan Rintel and train conductor Angela Wierenga, opened the Main Travel Coupé in the Reinaldahuis of Zorggroep Reinalda in Haarlem. Its purpose is to stimulate the senses of looking, feeling and hearing and “possibly bring back nice memories,” said Wilmink. 

The NS and Alzheimer Netherland have developed the Main Travel Coupé especially for nursing home residents with dementia. The compartment consists of components that come from real trains, such as the seating, overhead luggage rack and the well-known tilting trash can. Looking out the “window” of the compartment, the landscape glides by, and it seems as if the train is really driving on the track, allowing the elderly patients to experience again what it was like to travel by train.

Marjan Rintel explains: “As long as we cannot cure dementia, we must do everything we can to provide bright spots. With the Main Travel Coupé we take people with dementia and their loved ones on a journey, while they can stay in their familiar environment.” 

The Main Travel Coupé visits 12 nursing homes in 12 different provinces and will remain in place for a month at each location. The compartment is located in the common area, so residents and family members can sit down to drink a cup of coffee and reminisce together or stare silently out the window. 

Carolien Koning, director Zorggroep Reinalda in Haarlem, thinks it is a great initiative by Alzheimer Nederland and NS:

“The Main Travel Coupé (conforms) well with our … vision based on loving care that fits the individual wishes and backgrounds of our residents with dementia.”

There are currently approximately 290,000 people with dementia in the Netherlands. This number is expected to increase to approximately 420,000 in 2030 and 520,000 in 2040. Dementia is thus developing into the leading cause of death in the Netherlands. As people with this disease increasingly lose their cognitive skills, this has a major impact not only on their lives, but also on the lives of their loved ones.

In the Netherlands, attempts are made to care for people with dementia in a humane and dignified way. At the end of 2019, Alzheimer Netherland and NS, among others, launched the awareness campaign, ‘GOOD,’ to deal more generally with dementia in public transport. During her workday, it often happens that conductor Angela Wierenga and her colleagues come into contact with these travelers.  This campaign is aimed at both public transport employees and passengers. Together the dementia-friendly group developed an online training that allows public transport employees to recognize people showing signs of the disease and to deal with them in a positive, caring way. The training is now followed as standard by all 700 Safety & Service colleagues at NS. The hope is that these efforts will bring comfort to those whose lives are being touched by this disease and allow some bright spots into their lives.