4. Persona Scenarios
Person with Dementia
Anna is a 72-year-old woman who was born in Oestgeest where she lived until she was twenty. She then moved to Amsterdam to work as a clerk at a medical shop in the Kalverstraat until she retired. Her husband meanwhile worked in construction until he died in a building accident when he was 52. She has three children of which one passed away three years ago from breast cancer: Tim, Peter and Ina. She was diagnosed with alzheimers six years ago and has been in a care home for the last two years since she could no longer take care of herself at home. When she was younger she would always go to the local jazz club to dance and she occasionally still likes to do so. She has a tendency to forget that her child and husband are dead, so she always asks for them. Since she has been in the care home she has been enjoying playing bridge and eating sweets. She always has a stash of Winegums hidden in her purse at all times. Due to a recent fall, she has been walking a bit crooked but the doctor said she will recover soon.
Caretaker
Cristina (35) is a caretaker at the care home and has been working there for a long time. She is originally from Romania and has a background in nursing. She is responsible for daily care of patients, such as bathing, feeding and medicine taking. She is responsible for caring for Paulina.
Relative
Peter (42) is a handyman who works in a construction company. Like his brother Joyter, he is also married and has a daughter and a son. He grew up in Oestgeest with his siblings and parents. Wojtek is very close to his mother Paulina and is deeply saddened by her dementia and health condition. He visits her often in the care home and brings her to the local jazz club occasionally. Wojtek is a practical and skilled person and he is always looking for ways to improve his mother's life quality.
Person with Dementia
Alex is a 51-year-old male from Breda who suffers from early-onset dementia. When he was appointed as the CEO of an international trading company he noticed that the kept forgetting about various deals that he had made. Sometimes it was even hard for him to remember who exactly worked for him. The breaking point came when he walked into his old work asking for an intern who has stopped working there ten years ago. He is married to a loving husband and they have three children together who are all in the later stages of high school. He does not accept his illness and can often become moody or aggressive towards staff and/or relatives when they remind him of something. At night nurses hear him crying in his bed and his notebooks are filled with ominous/gloomy text.
Caretaker
Meric (25) is a caretaker that has just been recruited in the care house. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he is just graduated from nursing college. He loves his job and is willing to apply what he learned in his career. He is responsible for daily care of patients, such as bathing, feeding and medicine taking. He is responsible for caring for Alex.
Relative
Tim (49) is a househusband who has been married to Alex for over two decades. He was born and raised in the Netherlands and he worked in several administrative jobs before deciding to stay home and take care of his family. Tim is a caring and patient persona, and he is always willing to be a steady rock for Alex, especially after his husband is diagnosed with dementia. Tim is a good listener and often sits with Alex when he comes to the carehouse and tries to appease his husband's feelings of upset and confusion, while trying to help Alex to recall his memory.
Person with Dementia
Gerard de Boer, 65 year old male suffering from the early stages of Parkison's with memory loss. Before getting sick he worked at a local high school as a mathematics teacher and always insisted on being the mentor for the freshmen. When he turned fifty he decided to volunteer at the local animal shelter to feed, walk and take care of abandoned dogs. After being taken into a care home, he has picked up playing the guitar so that he can play some of the songs of his youth.
Caretaker
Patricia de Uil, 37 year old female doctor who supervises the care home and is in charge of designing the recovery plans for all the patients. She has one adopted teenager and one child that is halfway through primary school. Whenever she can, she goes sailing with her family in the local lake where she owns a small sailship.
Relative
Eustatius de Boer, 43 year old male and the son of Gerard. He works as a mechanic at a bike repair shop in Enschede and can often be found in the mosh pit at local punk or metal gigs. As a teenager, he was often made fun of for choosing to become a mechanic, despite being able to go to university. He visits his father every other week and wished he could come more often, but the care home is in Breda.
Person with Dementia
Madde is a 63-year-old woman born in Bloemendaal and who lived in nearby Haarlem her entire adult life. She was born during the war and suffered from many nightmares as a kid. Madde was a strong proponent and activist for women's rights during the second wave of feminism starting from the middle sixties. She was an active activist for the Labour Party and was an important member of their women's network. In 1975 she made headlines after being part of a group that occupied an abortion clinic that one of the ministers wanted to close. In the 90s she was a member of parliament and she spend the 2000s in varying posts going from the mayor of a small town to being an active part of the water board. She does not have any children but has been happily married since the seventies. An aggressive form of Parkinsons was diagnosed two years ago, but her memory has been relatively solid. However, she has the habit of becoming paranoid and forgetting her medication.
Caretaker
Anne (40) is one of the caretakers in the care house. She is Dutch, born and raised up in Rotterdam. She is a person with sympathy and patience who feels proud of her job and finds fulfilment in helping others. Marie has extensive working experience in caring for elderly PwDs at several care houses before she is recruited in the current one. She is responsible for daily care of patients, such as bathing, feeding and medicine taking. She is responsible for caring Madde.
Relative
Lieke (66) is a retired high school teacher who has been happily married to Madde since the 1970s. He was born and raised in the Netherlands where he met Madde at the university. Lieke is always supportive of her wife's activism and political work, and now he has been a caregiver for Madde since her dementia diagnosis. He is a patient and understanding man, and diligent to help Madde maintain her independence and dignity.
Person with Dementia
José (90) was born in Barcelona during the dictatorship of Franco, when he was a teenager he was an active protestor for liberalism and democracy. During a protest, he was arrested, tortured and thrown into prison for a decade. After being let go, he fled to the Netherlands where he worked at various cafés and restaurants. After the overthrow of the fascist government in 1975, he tried to go back to his home country but his trauma was too strong. After returning he fell in love with a Dutch nurse and married her. They had one child together who is now a professor of Geography at the University of Amsterdam. José's dementia has made him resentful, angry and conservative. He has stopped accepting the homosexuality of his son since he now believes that it is a sin in front of the eyes of God. He suspects his wife of forty years to be cheating on him with his doctor and being in league with the bank to steal his money. Two months ago he was diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer and his doctors stopped treating him.
Caretaker
Timothy (45) is a physician who specializes in geriatric care. He has been working at the carehouse for a long time. Timothy is known for his professional approach to care and his ability to conversate with his patients. He understands that dementia can be difficult to handle and is dedicated to improving the life quality of all his patients. He is also a good listener and willing to hear any concerns from the patients or their relatives. He is responsible for monitoring José's health condition
Relative
Alejandro (45) is José's only child and a professor of Geograph at the University of Amsterdam. During his growth, he had a close tie with his father and admired his father's brave as a fighter for democracy. However, after his father was diagnosed with cancer and dementia, their relationship has become strained. Alejandro struggles to deal with his father's view on homosexuality, which caused a rift between them and made them no longer talk to each other. Despite the rift, Alejandro hopes to make sure his father gets the best care. He routinely comes to the carehouse to make sure his father's needs are met.
Person with Dementia
Tudor (75) was born in Kalar Lumpur and moved to the Netherlands in the late 90s. He worked as a cleaner in various hotels, BnBs and private homes until he retired. Since he has worked illegally in the country he only survives on a small state pension and his family is unable to support him since none of them live in the Netherlands. He has made quite a few friends over the years, but they can only occasionally visit him. Most of the time Tudor is alone in his room playing Solitaire and watching TV to pass the time.
Caretaker
Ewa(36) is one of the caretakers in the carehouse who has been working for a while here. She is born and raised in Poland, married a Dutch husband and then find a job in the care house. She has working experience in Poland. She is responsible for daily care of patients, such as bathing, feeding and medicine taking. She is responsible for caring Tudor.
Relative
Tom (68) is a native Dutch who lived in the Netherlands for most of her life. he worked as a nurse for many years before retiring. Alexia met Tudor while Tudor is coming to the hospital to seek help. Tom is a warm person, and although he has his own family to take care of, he occasionally visits Tudor whenever he had time. Aware of Tudor's dementia diagnosis, he tries to chat about their past with him to help him recover. He also brings Tudors small gifts when he is visiting.