Austria, ongoing since 2024
After the end of our visiting service in the Steindorf retirement home and a short break, we received a request from the Caritas retirement home, St. Theresia, in Feldkirchen asking if we could take over visiting services there. A woman who had been making regular visits was now retiring and very keen that the visits should continue.
The home management was very pleased and immediately gave us a short list of residents. We were introduced to the residents by the woman who had previously conducted the visits.
Every two weeks, two or three of us visited some of the residents of the retirement home. We connected with some of them quickly, with others it took a while, and some said straight away that they didn’t want a visit. But most of them were always happy to see us and talk to us.
Around mid-2024, we wanted to take the next step and not just talk to the residents, but do something together to make their everyday lives more varied. We contacted the person in charge of activities and asked if we could support her in any way. She was very pleased because she could really use some help with handicrafts, for example.
From then on, we took part in internal handicrafts every two weeks. Various decorations were made, as well as clay pendants and small rosaries. The conversations that arose in the groups were particularly nice. They were lovely and rich afternoons for everyone!
For our last visit before Christmas, we decided to bring a little surprise for the residents and some of the caregivers: self-cast flower figures made from real beeswax.
In preparation, our group met for an afternoon together. Some made paper boxes from beautiful paper, others worked with the wax and the flower figures. Silicone molds were very useful for this. As candles are forbidden in the retirement home, we only drew the wick into the figures for the carers. It was great to be together and we all enjoyed collaborating on the project.
During our visit shortly before Christmas, we wished the residents we already knew, the home management, and some of the caregivers a happy holiday. Everyone marveled at how detailed the flower molds were.
We are already looking forward to continuing our visits in 2025.
