The first thing that went through my mind, when I read this article in The Independent, was that “Dementiaville” must be just like the village (Portmeirion) which the British cult TV series “The Prisoner” was set in. The Prisoner, an involuntarily retired British secret agent, was held in a village at an unknown location without any obvious guards, which he was unable to escape from:
The newly approved €20m housing project is to be built next to the Swiss village of Wiedlisbach near Bern and will provide sheltered accommodation and care for 150 elderly dementia patients in 23 purpose-built 1950s-style houses. The homes will be deliberately designed to recreate the atmosphere of times past.The scheme’s promoters said there will be no closed doors and residents will be free to move about. To reinforce an atmosphere of normality, the carers will dress as gardeners, hairdressers and shop assistants. The only catch is that Wiedlisbach’s inhabitants will not be allowed to leave the village.
The Prisoner used to be an absolute “must” for me to see when I was at school – even better than “The Man from Uncle“!
