Notwithstanding its long tradition, family care in Geel is more alive than ever. Increasingly, family care is seen as a more humane alternative for extended hospital admission. The World Health Report 2001 on Mental Health by the WHO writes about Geel: “One of the best examples of how communities can become carers of the mentally ill is to be found in the Belgian town of Geel, the site of what is undoubtedly the oldest community mental health programme in the western world.”
Today about 500 patients reside with 440 families in Geel. The approach emphasizes the residual abilities of the patient: s/he is accepted with his/her disabilities. Not only are the patients a familiar sight in town, they are also embraced by the local population.