Bruges (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): A care center in Bruges opened its garden to campers creating a lively atmosphere for residents and visitors. They enjoy sharing stories and experiences fostering connections and memories particularly through language interactions enhancing the residents’ engagement and joy.
On July 14 a new thing started at a care center in Bruges and it’s been really popular. The people living there and visitors are loving it. Josefien Verhelst said that residents are having a great time chatting with the campers making everything lively. Different types of campers like cyclists and families have set up tents in the garden bringing a nice vibe to the place. Lots of different people have come to visit like cyclists who traveled for a long time, a family with kids and a scout group from Limburg.It has been said that having this mix of guests has made things more fun for everyone. It’s brought people together and given the elderly residents a chance to interact with the visitors in special ways.
What is the main reason for opening a garden at a care center and how does it benefit the residents?
The main reason they opened the garden at the care center was to make the residents’ lives better by having them meet the campers. Josefien Verhelst said that the residents love talking to slow travelers like cyclists and families. These travelers share interesting stories about their trips that remind the residents of their own past adventures. Talking to these travelers helps the residents feel connected to the world outside and makes them curious about the places the visitors have seen. It’s not just about making friends. It also brings back memories and keeps them engaged making the garden a lively and special place at the care center.
Josefien told a story about how knowing a different language can be really helpful in unexpected situations. She talked about a resident who could speak Spanish. One day they got a chance to use their Spanish skills even though no one knew they could speak it before. When a visitor from Malaga, Spain came to the care center after traveling to England for three months he and the resident started chatting in Spanish.She mentioned that their conversation was so smooth and natural that others couldn’t understand showing how well the resident knew Spanish and how useful it is to communicate with people from different places. Josefien thought this was funny and pointed out the fun and useful side of knowing multiple languages.
