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Dutch care home builds tiny glasshouse so family can still visit parents during the coronacrisis

2 min read

Better Society
Glazen Tuinhuis brengt ouderen tijdens de corona-lockdown weer samen met familie en vrienden.
Source: @Arie Kievit

This nursing home in Wassenaar (the Netherlands) has found a creative solution to ensure their residents can see their relatives and friends, even during the coronacrisis.

Glass Garden House

In the backyard of this private nursing home situated in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, a small house has been placed in which the family members, separated by a glass partition wall, can still communicate with their parents or grandparents and look them in the eye.

All nursing homes have been closed for weeks because of the terrible coronavirus. Visits are not allowed due to the risk of infection. Residents now only have contact with their families via telephone or the internet. With this garden shed, the Claris Zorggroep, which runs the Wassenaar Care Villa, hopes to improve the quality of life of their guests.

Source: Midvliet.nl

Tiny Glass House Reunites Elderly With Family 'Corona-Proof'Source: BrightVibes Facebook

The Idea

Willem Holleman, manager: "How did we come up with the idea? We looked at the Glass House of Giel Beelen, a renowned Dutch radio-DJ, who sets up a glass house in a city in the Netherlands every year to raise money for charity, the Glass House of 3FM Radio. A meeting place for people to gather, but still open with glass, but now in times of corona nobody can receive visitors anymore, family members are very sorry, residents are a bit lonely in the house. And that inspired us to come up with this idea; a garden shed, a glass wall in between, decorating the house and people can talk to each other in one space. Being together again, seeing each other again. Only thing is, we still can’t hug each other, but apart from that we are back together again".

Source: Claris Zorggroep

No visits

Nursing and care homes have been closed for a few weeks to keep the coronavirus out. In the beginning, there was sadness but also understanding among family members,” says director Willem Holleman. 

Residents suffer it resignedly. The loss is great. There is less liveliness, but it’s better for their safety. 
"Normally people are visited 2 or 3 times a week by family, friends and that’s not the case now, so it’s a bit quiet for them."

Bron: BN de Stem / Claris

Source: Claris Zorggroep

Everyone is excited about the garden house

Monique care coordinator stated:

"Visitors, friends or family enter the house through the parking lot, the residents take a different entrance and then there is an intercom system so they can talk to each other.

For relatives, it is of course also very sad not to see your father and mother and this way they can still see and talk to each other in a safe way.

Families got very excited when they heard about the plan. There’s a high demand for it, I believe."
Source: Claris Zorggroep
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