|
The
town of Geel, Belgium, has a different approach to mental health care than
most: Residents take in, or “foster,” patients from the local psychiatric
hospital, and they become part of the family. Though it may sound radical, as
the treatment of mental disorders is highly institutionalized in much of the
world, the
system works in Geel — and it has for centuries.
It goes back to at least the 1300s, when villagers built a church dedicated
to the patron saint of mental illness, St. Dymphna. Geel’s people have been
welcoming boarders since: Today there are about 120 in the town of 41,000,
according to The New York Times.
There are some safeguards in place, of course. Only those deemed stable are
matched with foster families, the homes are all pre-screened, and case workers from
the nearby hospital are available 24/7.
By and large, residents view the arrangement as part of Geel’s culture, and a
positive one at that. As for the boarders, they live with a level of freedom
not afforded by traditional institutions. The late neurologist Oliver Sacks
once wrote that Geel shows how “even those who could seem to be incurably
afflicted can, potentially, live full, dignified, loved, and secure lives.”
|
No comments:
Post a Comment