Teun Toebes

Teun Toebes
Toebes in 2026
Born (1999-05-23) May 23, 1999
Best, North Brabant, Netherlands
EducationFontys University of Applied Sciences
University of Humanistic Studies
OccupationNurse
Known forDementia advocacy
Websitehttps://www.teuntoebes.com

Teun Toebes (born 23 May 1999) is a Dutch nurse, author, and activist known for his work with people with dementia. He is one of the co-founders of the Article 25 Foundation, a non-profit organisation advocating for quality-of-life improvements for dementia patients.[1]

Biography

Early Life

Toebes was born on 23 May 1999 in Best, a town in the province of North Brabant, the eldest of four children, to a psychiatric nurse mother and an accountant father.[2][3] He completed his Bachelor of Nursing at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences and Care Ethics and Policy at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht.[4][5][6]

Career

Toebes began his career in the care sector as a caregiver at a nursing home at the age of 17.[3] In 2018, he founded the 'sTeun en toeverlaat foundation, a platform with videos about the elderly and care.[7][8] In 2021, he founded the Article 25 Foundation together with his friend, Dutch filmmaker Jonathan de Jong, as the chairman.[9][10][11] In the same year, Toebes also became a member of the advisory council of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.[9][12]

Toebes has several publications to his name. In 2021, he published the book The Housemates (Dutch: VerpleegThuis), which debuted at number 1 in The Netherlands.[13] He also performs in the theater, visiting various locations with the show VerpleegThuis.[14] In 2022, it was announced that the book would be adapted into a drama series.[15]

In 2023, together with de Jong, they traveled around the world and made the documentary Human Forever (Dutch: Een Wereld te Winnen) alongside a book with the same name in Dutch, dealing with how dementia is treated around the world and how culture and community affects people with dementia.[16][17] The film won the Golden Calf Award at the Netherlands Film Festival.[10][18][19] In 2025, Toebes announced a sequel to the documentary titled Human II Forever, set to release in 2026.[20]

Personal life

In 2020, Toebes once lived in a closed ward at the Voorhoeve nursing home in Utrecht when he was 21 years old. He then exchanged his room and moved 2 years later at the Verpleeghuis Groenelaan in Amstelveen. He did this for about three years to experience living in an institution and observe how dementia patients were treated.[3][21][22]

Recognition

Toebes has won several awards for his work and dedication to people with dementia. In 2019, he was named Brabander of the Year.[23] In 2020, he won the Young Impact Award for his YouTube videos about older adults with dementia.[7] In 2021, he won the first Cinekid Zapp Young Talent Award.[24]

Bibliography

  • 2021: The Housemates, De Arbeiderspers (ISBN 9781914613395)
  • 2023: Een wereld te winnen, in collaboration with Jonathan de Jong, De Arbeiderspers (ISBN 9789029547888)

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 De Sociëteit Self Talk show interview [25]
2023 Human Forever Producer

Reference

  1. ↑ Michiel (2023-10-21). "Teun Toebes' Ontroerende Wereldreis: De Documentaire 'Human Forever' Werpt Een Broodnodig Nieuw Licht op Dementiezorg". BrightVibes (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  2. ↑ Koelewijn, Rinskje Koelewijn Redacteur Profiel Rinskje; Koelewijn, Rinskje Koelewijn Redacteur Profiel Rinskje (2021-11-18). "Teun Toebes: 'Jij hebt een totáál ander beeld van mensen met dementie dan ik'". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  3. 1 2 3 Kelly, Guy (2023-07-23). "'I'm 24, perfectly healthy – and I live in a nursing home'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  4. ↑ "Zorgvernieuwer Teun Toebes: 'Laten we beginnen met het openen van de gesloten afdeling'". Hart voor Zorg (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  5. ↑ "Teun Toebes Pathé Eindhoven". Teun Toebes Pathé Eindhoven (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  6. ↑ "Documentary Human Forever premieres". Leyden Academy on Vitality and Aging. 10 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Teun Toebes (20) uit Best wint Young Impact Award voor YouTubevideo's over dementerende ouderen" (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  8. ↑ Maarhuis, Nadine (2020-05-20). "De 21-jarige held Teun Toebes bezorgt mensen met dementie geluksmomenten". MaatschapWij (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  9. 1 2 "Zorgvernieuwer Teun Toebes: 'Mogen mensen nog gewoon mens zijn?' | Vereniging Gehandicaptenzorg Nederland". www.vgn.nl (in Dutch). 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  10. 1 2 "Teun Toebes wint Gouden Kalf: menswaardig bestaan voor mensen met dementie". RCOAK (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  11. ↑ "Who we are". Article 25 Foundation. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  12. ↑ "De huisgenoten van Teun Toebes (22) hebben dementie: 'Ze hebben het gevoel dat ze er niet mogen zijn'". Vrij Nederland (in Dutch). 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  13. ↑ Ryan, Declan (2023-07-30). "The Housemates by Teun Toebes review – the dementia nurse who moved in with his patients". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  14. ↑ "VerpleegThuis live in Theater Harderwijk: Teun Toebes schetst nieuw mensbeeld van mensen met dementie". harderwijkercourant.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  15. ↑ "Boek van Teun Toebes wordt dramaserie". Boek van Teun Toebes wordt dramaserie (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  16. ↑ "Documentaire Human Forever - de kracht van het alledaagse". Ijsselbode.nl - Al het nieuws uit Oudewater (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  17. ↑ Gelder, Arno (2024-09-21). "Teun Toebes woonde samen met mensen met dementie: 'Ik maak me zorgen om hoe we met deze groep mensen omgaan'". Metronieuws.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  18. ↑ "Human Forever". Nederlands Film Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  19. ↑ "Teun Toebes krijgt Gouden Kalf voor film over mensen met dementie". Omroep Brabant: het laatste nieuws uit Brabant, sport en informatie uit jouw regio. (in Dutch). 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  20. ↑ Clarke, Stewart (2025-12-16). "Sequel To Hit Dementia Documentary 'Human Forever' In Production: 'Human II Forever' Set For 2026 Release". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  21. ↑ "BBC Radio 5 Live - 5 Live In Short - 24-year-old lives in care home as housemate". BBC. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
  22. ↑ Sjerps, Marieke (2023-11-01). "Teun Toebes: 'Een verpleeghuis is geen thuis voor mensen met dementie'". Reporters Online (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  23. ↑ "Brabant heeft gekozen: dit is de Brabander van het Jaar 2019". Omroep Brabant: het laatste nieuws uit Brabant, sport en informatie uit jouw regio. (in Dutch). 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  24. ↑ Redactie (2020-10-14). "Teun Toebes wint eerste Cinekid Zapp Young Talent Award". Spreekbuis.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  25. ↑ NTR, Omroep. "De Sociëteit - De Sociëteit". NTR (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-07-25.
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