Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen: Simplified Stories by DDB Brussels

In collaboration with DDB Brussels, the Alzheimer League provides a world first - books and novels rewritten for people with dementia. The project “Simplified Stories” launches with the biography of Stromae, and is available in bookstores.

Every 4 seconds, someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with dementia, and in Belgium, the number is estimated at around 175,000, of which approximately 3,000 are under the age of 65. The Alzheimer League in Flanders therefore collaborated with the regional expert dementia centre, Paradox, and Professor Sebastian Engelborghs (University of Antwerp), to develop this approach, making reading easier and more enjoyable. The core of the story and the book remain, but in the first book in the series, nearly 8,000 words have been removed from the biography. The layout, font and structure have also been adjusted, and a brief summary of each chapter provided.

Borgerhoff & Lamberigts publish the first book by Peter Verbruggen, “Maestro Stromae”. Because Stromae’s popularity also appeals to children/grandchildren, they can read the book together with the person who has dementia.