While it’s freezing outside that it’s cracking, the residents and care employees of the Etten-Leur Guest House are warm inside. Especially now that they have wrapped their living space with a warm scarf.
To achieve this, they have been knitting together for over a year on a scarf that is more than a hundred meters long. Not only the residents, but also their relatives, care workers and neighbors participated.
Guesthouse Etten-Leur is a small-scale home for people with dementia. On Tuesday, the house wore its colorful winter tie for the first time. The scarf symbolizes the warmth that the residents and care workers share with each other and the environment.
“I see the tie as an embrace of the warmth we get here.”
Resident Conny van Arendonk has also contributed in recent months: “We have been busy with it, it was a fun project. We even taught people how to knit. That gives a sense of connection. I see the tie as an embrace of the warmth we get here.”
The Guest House in Etten-Leur wants to encourage residents with dementia to remain independently active in society for as long as possible. The winter scarf project is an example of this. “I am so glad we made it. I know from experience that this has a hugely positive effect for the future. People have been talking about this for a long time. Participating and being meaningful, that is what we hope to achieve with this, “says care worker Anjes Oomens.
