Today we’d like to introduce you to Andreas Hartel.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our journey began from a deeply personal place. When our own family faced the challenges of finding suitable dementia care, we struggled to find a residence that truly combined professional excellence with genuine warmth and respect. The available options simply didn’t feel right — they lacked the heartfelt compassion we believed our loved one deserved.
That experience became the catalyst for Alzheimer’s Residence Philippines. We decided to create what we couldn’t find: a beautiful, dignified home that blends German management standards and European quality with the natural kindness and compassion so characteristic of Filipino culture.
Today, Villa Sionah — our family home and sanctuary — sits peacefully amid tropical gardens and gentle ocean breezes. It offers specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care for residents from the US, Germany, Switzerland, and other Western countries. Families typically pay around $3,300 per month for comprehensive, personalized care — a fraction of the $10,000 or more commonly seen in the United States — while enjoying a peaceful, home-like environment with meticulous attention to quality and safety.
What started as a family’s search for better care has grown into our life’s mission: “Care for loneliness with love.” Every resident who joins us becomes part of our extended family — not treated as a patient, but embraced as a person with a unique story, living with dignity, safety, and joy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Building a specialized dementia care facility for Western residents in the Philippines has come with its share of challenges.
The biggest obstacle has been that we are operating in a very niche market. While countries like Thailand have offered similar retirement and care services for Westerners for over 20 years, high-quality dementia care in the Philippines is still relatively unknown. Many families in the US, Germany, and Switzerland simply don’t expect to find this kind of professional, personalized Alzheimer’s and dementia care here.
Because of that, getting our message in front of the right people—especially families in the United States who are searching for suitable care options—has been our most significant hurdle. Raising awareness and building trust from thousands of miles away has required patience, persistence, and a lot of personal effort.
Despite these challenges, every step has only strengthened our conviction in our mission: to provide a true home where loneliness is cared for with love.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For most of the past 35 years, I’ve worked in the software industry, mainly in the energy sector. I began as a software developer and later moved into roles as senior software analyst, project manager, and senior project manager.
My specialization has been in large-scale grid control systems (SCADA). I’ve successfully led complex international projects in Germany and abroad, handling both the technical and commercial aspects of delivering reliable, high-security systems for national and regional power grids.
In 2022, I took a sabbatical to fully focus on developing Alzheimer’s Residence Philippines and turning our family’s vision into reality. I still work part-time as a subcontractor in the power grid control systems space, with a recent focus on enhanced security requirements for international customers.
What I’m most proud of is the ability to deliver complex, mission-critical projects while maintaining the highest standards of quality and reliability. The same discipline, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence that I brought to large-scale software projects now shape the professional management and European standards at Villa Sionah.
What sets us apart is this unique combination: German precision and project management expertise paired with the genuine warmth and compassion of Filipino care—all within a peaceful, home-like environment.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I wouldn’t say I had a traditional mentor for this project. Our greatest inspiration came from a TV documentary about alzheimerthailand.com—the story of Martin Woodtli, a Swiss national who, in 2005, created a caring environment in Thailand for his mother because he was disappointed with the options in Switzerland.
Like him, we were driven by personal experience and the frustration of not finding a residence that combined professional standards with genuine warmth. Martin’s journey was the powerful proof we needed that it was possible to build something better abroad. Seeing his success gave us the courage to create Villa Sionah—blending German management with Filipino compassion.”
For anyone considering a similar path — whether in dementia care or any new venture — my advice would be:
• Look for real-life examples of people who have faced similar challenges and succeeded. Their stories can be more valuable than formal mentoring.
• Be willing to learn from those who have walked the path before you, even if they are on the other side of the world.
• Build your network by reaching out directly to people whose work you admire. Many are surprisingly open to sharing their experiences when they see genuine passion and a shared mission.
Pricing:
- Package Type—1 Dementia Guest
- Monthly Rate starting from $ 3,291
- Includes Private apartment, 24/7 care,
- meals, laundry, activities,
- nursing services
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alzheimer-residenz-philippinen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alzheimer.residenz.philippinen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alzheimer.Residenz.Philippinen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alzheimerresidenzphilippinen
