The coronavirus pandemic has brought us into difficult times, where daily life may seem a bit strange. This is especially true for elderly people in residential homes, many of whom are currently not allowed visitors.
Zorggroep Archipel, a residential home in Eindhoven, therefore had a bright idea: they invited family members to ‘visit’ their loved ones via a cherry picker. This allows the elderly people to wave and talk to their family members from their windows.
Eerdbrand, another residential home in Eindhoven, also introduced the idea today.
Carla Engels says that she found it scary to step into the cherry picker as she is afraid of heights. Nevertheless, she is thankful for the residential home employees for helping her to conquer her fear and to wave hello to her 87-year-old father for the first time in three weeks. ‘It is difficult to talk via telephone due to his Alzheimer’s. Luckily he recognised us this morning,’ says Carla.
Flowers
Carla’s sister, Astrid, also enjoyed this creative new way to visit her father. ‘Due to an illness at home, I had not seen him for more than three weeks. It really means a lot. It is his birthday in one week and unfortunately we can’t visit him. But luckily I could give him a flower today,’ she says.
As the cherry picker only reaches as high as the seventh floor at the Archipel residential home, employees came up with another solution so that residents on the higher floors can also receive visitors. The residents can sit by the window in an office on the ground floor and their families can speak to them and wave from outside.
Conquering fear of heights
When asked if they would use the cherry picker to visit their father again, Astrid and Carla respond, ‘if it is still necessary, we would’. ‘I have conquered my fear of heights,’ Carla laughs.
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translator: Rachael Vickerman
