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This French village is revolutionizing the way Alzheimer's is treated.

In 2019, 120 men and women will move into a village straight out of a storybook.

The residents of the village, located in southwestern France, will enjoy all the pleasures of living the relaxed, provincial life. They'll shop in a small supermarket, make appointments with a local hair stylist, go to the gym, eat out, and visit the library. They'll live in small, shared homes. They'll spend plenty of time outdoors, some of them on the village's small farm. And if animals aren't their thing, Newsweek reports that there will be plenty of activities — from games to concerts — to keep the residents occupied.

Image via Département Landes/YouTube.


This village sounds idyllic all on its own, but it's the residents who are really special.

All of them are people living with Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is a deteriorative disease that causes severe problems with memory and cognition, and according to the Alzheimer's Association, it is the most common form of dementia. More than 5 million people live with it in America, and over 40 million people worldwide have some form of dementia. While researchers are working hard on finding a cure and effective treatment, the number of individuals affected appears to be steadily growing.

The problem is that as the dementia worsens, those living with it are often relegated to nursing homes, which offer necessary support but can feel lonely and bleak.

That's why "Alzheimer's Village" — as it's being colloquially referred to — is so important.

The village design allows residents to spend their time active and unstressed, enjoying a place that's not full of doctors and beeping machines.

Gabriel Bellocq, the former mayor of the area where the facility will soon stand, told Le Parisien that there will be no white coats on the premises. "We wanted the patients to feel at home in an environment that could remind them of life in the good old days," he told the outlet.

Instead, everyone, including researchers, medical assistants, and volunteers will wear plain clothes.

The research going on behind "Alzheimer's Village" will be to determine whether those living with the condition are truly happier, healthier, and less reliant on medication when they live in such a village as compared with traditional assisted living facilities. The success of the community — which is comparable in cost to nursing homes in France — could mean a change in the way that treatment of Alzheimer's is conducted.

This village in France is a huge step in revolutionizing how Alzheimer's is treated. And it's not the first.

In a facility in the Netherlands, residents receive care but enjoy the things they would have if they'd been living at home. That means dinners out, trips to shops, and even a glass of beer or wine once in a while. The only difference from living in the outside world? All the people staffing the shops and restaurants are carers. And when the residents are no longer able to function without comprehensive medical support, they don't have to leave their residences.

In Ohio, one long-term care facility has been set up to make the inside to feel like the great outdoors. Residents live in their own mini-homes, congregate on a "main street," and experience real-time night and day via time-controlled ceiling lights. The the sounds and smells of nature are ever-present.

These new facilities bring both peace and humanity to their residents, and the hope that the future holds even more breakthroughs in caregiving.

"In five years, we're going to [be able to] rehabilitate our clients where they can live independently in our environment [not in a facility]," Jean Makesh, the company's CEO, told Upworthy in 2016. "In 10 years, we're going to be able to send them back home."

These villages are only the beginning.

Learn more about the facility here:

Pop Culture

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, *full-time* wages. Woo.

Making a little over 10,000 for a yearly salary.


I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.

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5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


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But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

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Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

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A wild Eurasian crow befriended a toddler and won't leave his side

Crows are so much smarter than we think.

A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

Dishwashers actually use the dirty water to know how to wash your dishes.

Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

Why your detergent shouldn't go in the bottom of the dishwasher

There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

The inconsistency in product dispensing can leave you wondering if the dishes are even getting cleaned, causing some to toss the detergent pod into the bottom of the dishwasher. It would seem that placing the detergent at the bottom would allow for it to actually reach your dirty dishes. But Melissa Pateras, a domestic expert, explains that doing it that way isn't doing what you think it's doing.

Pateras actually breaks down exactly how dishwashers work to clean your dishes while explaining why putting the detergent on the bottom is ineffective.

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