Yesterday was our traditional visit to the resort town of Gränna
and then to Visingsö island. Gränna is a pretty town nestled on the shore of
Lake Vättern. We get there early in order to give the students a chance to see
the local delicacy, Polkagris, being made. Polkagris are fat candy canes still
made by hand in several small shops. They now come in multiple flavors and the
traditional peppermint. The candy cane may have originated here, or at least
that's what local people say, but even if it's not true, they have perfected
it.
We then traveled by ferry to Visingsö island, a long, narrow
island in the middle of the lake There are 742 permanent residents. It's
a tourist area in the summer, but quite rustic, no hotels, just cottages. Or
people do day trips. There are also very few cars.
We rented bikes and went off to our 3 destinations. One was
Annero, the old age home on the island. The island's population is old,
and people want to stay here, even when they can no longer live alone. Annero
Is a small, 18 person facility, with 17 people currently living there.
Residents have a wide range of needs, from mostly independent to severe
dementia. They have known each other most or all of their lives. The staff,
some of whom are also long-time residents of the island, say that knowing one
another helps residents accept the people who have greater disabilities. Even
when the facility is full, people on the island who need to move from home will
wait for an opening, rather than go off the island.
Like the other facilities, each resident has his or her own
apartment, either in the main building, or in lovely cottages in a park-like
setting behind the main building. The staff is small, 3 persons during the day
and two overnight (though one sleeps unless there is a problem). There is also
a nurse during the day who takes care of residents' needs as well as seeing
island residents. A doctor comes from the mainland once a week. In case
of a medical emergency, the person is taken by ferry or by a private boat to
Grana, and from there by ambulance to Jönköping.
The facility also serves as the base
for home help on the island who visit people at home. Meals also get delivered
to some island residents and some come in to Annero for lunch.
It would be easy to say that this
facility is too small and does not have medical care on hand, and so should be
closed. But this is where people on the island want to live out their lives.
And the municipality makes that possible.
The literal high point of the day is
our visit to a 1,000 year old stone church on the island. To pass the course,
students must climb the church tower. It's a narrow, steep ascent, but everyone
made it up and was rewarded with beautiful views of the island and lake.
Everyone made it down, too, I think.
Then the actual highlight, dinner at a
restaurant on the island. The restaurant opened just for us, thanks to the
class organizer, Sussie Jojannesson. We had salmon baked in a casserole lined
with mashed potatoes, followed by a flourless chocolate cake with ice cream and
the most delicious strawberries.
Stockholm next
We go to Stockholm on Friday. We will
hold a discussion of all we have seen and done, as well as visit the sites in
that beautiful city. I'll do a wrap-up post of what we learned and how it can
inform what we do in the US.
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