La Belle Visite
Taking time
An elegant, funny and charming family
Our La Belle Visite program is designed for seniors living in long-term care residences and, more recently, for adults in palliative care centres. The clowns in this program play members of the elegant, funny and charming Labelle family, a large clan hailing from the Beauce region of Quebec. The characters and costumes are inspired by the years from the 1930s to the 1950s, which harken back to the seniors’ younger years.
The clowns evoke the songs, dances, films, fashion, social mores and customs of these decades, prompting seniors to recall memories of their youth. Mostly, they listen to the people they meet, seek their advice and benefit from their rich experience in a variety of spheres of life, including family, education, homemaking, personal finance and marriage, among others. This approach empowers elders by making them feel competent and useful, and places value on their experience in a way that helps them see the world they live in today from a broader perspective.Â
We have time to take the time… to hold someone’s hand, listen to the same story every week, look at faded photos and sing songs from days gone by. And when it’s time to say goodbye, there are kisses all around, and the Labelle family members leave knowing spirits have been lifted for the briefest of moments.
Docteur David Lussier est un gériatre qui travaille à l’Institut de Gériatrie de l’Université de Montréal et qui est témoin au quotidien des bienfaits de la présence des artistes thérapeutiques. Il parle ici de l’apport réel et concret que La Belle Visite nous avons auprès des personnes âgées.
Help us break isolation
The positive impact of our programs is recognized by both medical practitioners and educators, who integrate our therapeutic artists into their care plans and educational objectives.