(Archive) Kleinkijkacademie

Care and household tasks can be transformed into surprising activities

Work structures in healthcare are so demanding - everything has to be increasingly efficient and carefully administered - that you would almost forget that work is also allowed to be fun. And this while the happiness at work and chronic health of care workers are of great importance. With a different approach and improvisational skills, care and household tasks can be transformed into surprising activities for care workers and for people with severe mental or multiple disabilities, social designers Sjaak Langenberg and Rosé de Beer discovered. They invited six designers and artists to give shape to this new way of looking and doing things.

More job satisfaction for attendants and enriched experience for residents

Employees of Severinus care organisation were given tools that do not require more time, but provide more job satisfaction for attendants and enriched experience for residents who often find it difficult to participate in cultural activities. For example, washing the windows became an interactive game, and meal preparation was combined with wellness through a dough massage. The new work forms and prototypes have been incorporated into the Leerplein and Severinus Academy’s professional education.

A plural perspective

In healthcare, everything revolves around the client; the caregiver is often a blind spot. A plural perspective also takes into account the health and well-being of care workers. Adding the designer's view to the palette of skills of care workers creates a unique crossover between care, design, and education.