Strengthening dementia friendly society in Flanders

In spring 2025, a new campaign was launched in Flanders to strengthen the dementia friendly society. The financial cooperation Cera launched “Unforgettable for each other”, which will run for at least five years. For this campaign, Cera is collaborating with various partners in the professional field, including the Flanders Dementia Expertise Centre, Alzheimer Belgique, and the Leuven Brain Institute.

The launch of the campaign happened with the release of the song “Zo lang we samen zijn” (as long as we are together) of Luka, a well-known Flemish singer-songwriter, who sings about her grandmother who had dementia. In the same week, the Flemish expertise centre on dementia care published their new book: Dementia, 50 questions and answers.   Building on warm communities, which is one of Cera’s objectives, a wide call to action to make pompoms was launched. With these pompoms, Cera would create a large symbolic work of art about dementia. The primary goal was to have citizens sending in 10.000 pompoms by the end of spring. Eventually, about 25.000 of these colourful pompoms were gathered. The softness of these pompoms symbolises the gentleness of care that people with dementia deserve, and the diversity of the pompoms shows that each of us is unique. And you can see the threads as a symbol for the wiring in the brain. The artwork build out of these pompoms was named “Ca-dans”. It was made by people with young onset dementia (and their buddies) from Beeldlab, an art class organised to their needs at the municipal art academy in Lier.  The artwork was shaped as a nest, symbolising that when people with dementia feel secure and safe, they are capable of achieving many goals. In the summer of 2025, the artwork was temporarily exposed at the entrance of the Concert Hall in Bruges. From September onwards, it was given a permanent place in the University Psychiatric Centre of the KULeuven.

Picture 1. At the day activity centre of the community art centre in Lier

Picture 2. Making pompons

Picture 3. Luka & the work of art