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Even in old age, “go poschte”: the “kiosk on wheels” stops at the retirement home every two weeks.
Shortly before 8:30 a.m., Beatrice Zanga’s white car with the trunk open was parked in front of the Halden retirement home in St. Gallen’s Neudorf district. She is one of the four initiators of the project. There are green boxes in the trunk containing the goods that Zanga sells. The “kiosk on wheels” is a pilot project in the city of St. Gallen.
Legend:
The trunk full of products for the “kiosk on wheels”. This should allow older people to continue shopping for themselves.
SRF / Marc Hanimann
From cookies to tissues to toothpaste, everything is included. The best seller is chocolate in all variations. The kiosk regularly comes to retirement and nursing homes with a specially tailored range of goods and offers residents an independent shopping experience on site.
Biscuits or chocolate for the mood
Due to their limited physical condition, many older people are no longer able to shop independently in the village or nearby store. So the kiosk comes to them. The idea is more self-determination, more independence.
This morning there is support from Susanne Bosshard. She and Zanga work on a voluntary basis. Together they build a wooden shelf in the atrium of the retirement home. The sales cart is next to it. It has an orange roof, two large wooden wheels and a sales area where the two women display their goods for mood and well-being.
Legend:
The sales cart in the retirement home. The “kiosk on wheels” is well received.
SRF / Marc Hanimann
The idea for the “kiosk on wheels” came about three years ago. The kiosk is important for the retirement home, says Beatrice Zanga. In addition to the many guided activities, it also gives the residents self-determination. “Today I feel like having a biscuit or a chocolate,” says Zanga about her experiences with customers when she stands behind the cart.
The “kiosk on wheels” is currently in a one-year pilot phase that will last until the summer. Then you want to evaluate how the project went. The kiosk visits four retirement homes in the city of St. Gallen every two weeks, each Wednesday for an hour. The regular rhythm is important for the people in the retirement home, so they can always “chrome” on the same day.
That’s great for me, I can’t drive a car anymore.
People come and go, chatting and buying. The goods should be affordable for everyone. In addition to the “go poschte”, there is also the opportunity to drink a coffee together, chat with other seniors or volunteers and make contacts. The sales cart as a social meeting place.
The idea was well received by the residents of the Halden retirement home: “It’s great for me, I can’t drive a car anymore. The shop isn’t far away, I can see it from my room, but I can’t go there anymore,” says a senior citizen. With the “kiosk on wheels” the independence to go shopping is coming back to people.