By 2050, the World Health Organization estimates that 139 million people worldwide will be living with dementia. This may not seem like a large number until you compare it to the current figure of 55 million. Traditional nursing homes are built to provide long-term care for the elderly. Some offer specialized support for cognitive disorders, while others focus on general care. The Hogeweyk in the Netherlands, however, was specifically created to meet the needs of elderly people with dementia. Designed as a fully functioning village, the Hogeweyk has a town square, supermarket, salon, and more.
到 2050 年，世界衛生組織估計全球將有一億三千九百萬人患有失智症。這個數字看似不大，但與目前的五千五百萬人相比，差距就非常明顯。傳統的療養院主要是為老年人提供長期照護。有些療養院專門提供針對認知障礙的支持，有些則專注於一般的照顧。然而，荷蘭的霍格威村則是專門為失智症老年人設計的。霍格威村被設計成一座完善運作的村莊，擁有城鎮廣場、超市、美容院等設施。
生活必備字詞：
specifically adv. 特定地
meet the needs of... 符合∕滿足……的需求
function vi. 起作用；運行（本文以現在分詞作形容詞用）
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本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見四月號。