VISAL at De Vlasborch in the Netherlands

For more than 15 years, Royal Dutch Visio has offered training courses at De Vlasborch (Vught), a residential and day centre for elderly people with a visual impairment. In addition to loss reconciliation, attention is given to increasing self-esteem, becoming self-aware and using residual potential of skills. VISAL also understands such core matters. But there is more. VISAL offers pointers for supporting clients to obtain greater freedom, making them more willing to interact with their surroundings and thus regaining control of their own existence.

The following experience was gained from the 5 full VISAL courses organised in 2016 in De Vlasborch. 29 elderly VI persons participated in the sessions.

The importance of group rules

Mutual trust is essential if clients in a group are to be encouraged to come into their own. Clients must be be sure that things that are said in the group remain in the group. In this way, knowledge and experience can be shared.

Some good news

Giving the group a chance to talk about good news at the start helps the clients focus on the positive experiences of the day. This new focus helps gain awareness, and can make clients realise that there is still a lot to be enjoyed in life, a lot that can make you happy.

Full of pride, a participant talks about a personal triumph:

"I went by myself, without my husband, to the new doctor's surgery. My husband was concerned and at first didn't think I should go out alone"

Resolutely, she resisted the help offered by her husband and, with the help of her walker and with her button pinned on, she set out on her adventure.

Circles of influence 

Become aware who is of real importance to you. Understand the possibilities and feel the solidarity. Recognise different types of relationships and apply these in your own life.

A participant relates:

"In the course, I made a collage of my personal network. This made it very clear how important my family is for me. My husband has other needs about meeting brothers and sisters, and sharing part of your life and cares with them. This makes me feel cut off from my family. The homework for the course helped me choose for myself. The result is that I now regularly have contact with my sisters."

Strengthening the personal network

Another VISAL participant said:

"I got into a discussion with a number of participants in the daily activities. I wanted to get to know them better and I wanted to discuss with one or two of them what was standing in the way of us having a good contact. It was provocative, but it really did me good."

Making choices

In the course, the participants learn to acknowledge and recognise their needs. They are given practice in learning how to communicate this. If it is successful, it feels like freedom.

 

Participants in a VISAL sesion seated around a table.

Participants in a VISAL sesion seated around a table.

 

 

By Monique MEULEN, VISAL facilitator, with additional comments by Romain FERRETTI, EBU Project Officer

You can join the VISAL family too!

A new European facilitators training course will be held in 2017. More information will be circulated in due course.