Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Bruges, aiming to be dementia-friendly, created training videos for hospitality staff, emphasizing respectful interactions. Alderman Pieter Marchal highlights the importance of small changes for the 3.000 residents with dementia.
The city of Bruges has made short, 1-minute training videos to help catering staff serve customers with dementia in a kind and respectful way. One video shows a man trying to pay a 3.50 euro bill but mistakenly giving three 50 euro notes. The waiter notices the mistake and politely takes one 50-euro note, saying, “I’ll be right back with your change.” This helps avoid embarrassing the customer while making sure the payment is correct. The video highlights the importance of treating customers with dignity in sensitive situations.
How is Bruges supporting dementia-friendly training for hospitality staff?
In another video, a customer gets lost while looking for the restroom. The waiter notices and quietly helps by guiding the customer in the right direction without making it obvious. This shows how important it is to use body language and clear words to assist customers with dementia. The training videos aim to teach staff how to create a friendly and supportive place for all guests, encouraging kindness and understanding in the hospitality industry.
Bruges is working to become a dementia-friendly city, especially in restaurants and cafes. Alderman Pieter Marchal says visits can be tough for people with dementia, so they created training videos to help staff understand how to support these customers. Small changes can make a big difference without much extra effort. There are about 3,000 people with dementia in Bruges now, and that number is expected to rise.
