1 million books, nearly 1 million conversations: library service for hospitals and care institutions breaks isolation in residential care facilities

Every week, residents look forward to the moment when volunteer Ingrid Van Tongerloo drops by. Not just for a new book, but mainly for a chat. And that is what makes library service for hospitals and care institutions unique: Red Cross volunteers bring not only books, but also company to residential care centers. 10 years ago, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders expanded its offer for seniors. With now 1 million loans and 900,000 calls in 10 years, library service for hospitals and care institutions has been an invisible engine of social contact in Flanders since 2015.

Volunteers bring more than books - they bring contact

In more than 450 care facilities in Flanders, volunteers from library service for hospitals and care institutions provide a warm, human connection. They go from room to room with a book trolley, offering a range of books adapted to the elderly and vulnerable target groups: large-print books, audio books, games or memory stories. Every encounter counts, and often the book is just the beginning of the conversation.

"What you give, you get back doubly," says Ingrid Van Tongerloo, Care Bib volunteer. "Sometimes a smile or a story is more important than the book itself. Starting the library service for hospitals and care institutions was not only an experience for me but also a revelation. I had never been to an assisted living facility before and got to know the residents and the people who care for them. That so much diverse care is needed, I had never thought about that. As a library service for hospitals and care institutions volunteer, you can't help with the physical but you can help with the mental care. You can make people feel that they are being cared for from the outside as well, with specially tailored reading or audio books by well-known authors."

"I cycle home with a smile every time because the courage and vitality I encounter there is contagious to me." she smiles.

library service for hospitals and care institutions is unique in Flanders

No other organization combines on this scale an adapted library operation with so much personal contact. library service for hospitals and care institutions is there exclusively for people who cannot go to the public library independently (anymore). With this, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders wants to make a difference for a specific target group. Moreover, the encounter between volunteer and resident is the heart of the operation. Belgian Red Cross-Flanders has more than 450 lending points throughout the region, of which more than 80% are in residential care centers. Other lending points are in general hospitals, psychiatric centers and also in a number of rehabilitation centers.

Festive milestone - 1 million loans, nearly 1 million calls

Between 2015 and today (the past 10 years), library service for hospitals and care institutions loanedone million books and materials. In the same period, 900,000 conversations took place between volunteers and residents. Every encounter means something: contact, companionship, comfort, a bridge to the past. And all through the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who go around weekly with a cart full of stories.

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders has more than 200,000 different materials they lend, among which 64,000 are large print books, more than 20,000 look books and so much more.

library service for hospitals and care institutions continues to grow - new volunteers welcome

Today, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders can count on hundreds of volunteers all over Flanders to visit residential care institutions. "Corona was not an easy period for library service for hospitals and care institutions, when we lent out far fewer books. But more importantly: the conversations fell away because of the corona pandemic." explains Gaëlle Huysentruyt, manager library service for hospitals and care institutions , "Today we are back on track, with hundreds of volunteers in Flanders who work every day against loneliness among seniors. It's a great way to bring warmth to society."

Those interested in learning more or becoming a volunteer can visit library service for hospitals and care institutions.