Living Normally with Dementia

Welcome to Dagmarsminde, an innovative nursing home in Denmark with a remarkable and life-affirming approach to dementia care. The founder and staff of this replicable model strive to help persons with dementia enjoy a rich, normal-feeling life.

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Living Normally with Dementia tells the successful story of Dagmarsminde, a small innovative nursing home in Denmark with a remarkable and life-affirming approach to dementia care.

The philosophy and lived experiences of this model home are illustrated with real examples and vignettes from day-to-day care. The founder and staff offer a replicable approach to helping their residents with dementia enjoy a richer, more normal-feeling life than residents receiving the “usual care” in most settings. The staff, in turn, enjoy the professional rewards of following their calling to this work with confidence and compassion.

Person-centered practices define the daily routine and include a focus on good nutrition, contact with nature, healthy physical activities, and as much independence in activities of daily living as possible. The needs and progress of each resident are paramount.

From the time a new resident arrives at the home until the person has died, the goal of care is to help residents

Thrive in a home where they are heard and respected at all times
Have a medication-free existence as much as possible
Remain independently mobile by walking without assistive devices unless absolutely necessary
Enjoy family-style dining with staff and residents together
Experience ordinary sights and sounds of nature—from household pets to small farm animals, garden flowers, and nearby woods


This book invites leaders, direct care partners, students, and families to immerse themselves in a home that operates very differently from traditional, institutional nursing homes. The goal is to help readers around the world envision new, more satisfying ways of working with people living with dementia and to explore new approaches in their own care homes.