Old Aalten > Healthcare & Wellbeing > Retirement Home > Beth San Residential Care Center

Beth San Residential Care Center

Ludgerstraat 17, Aalten

Beth San Residential Care Center on Ludgerstraat in Aalten was opened in 1960 as a ‘Reformed home for the elderly’. After fifty years, the complex no longer met the requirements of the time and the care center, along with the associated sheltered housing, was replaced by a new building. The opening of the new Beth San took place in 2013.

The initiative for Beth San came from the diaconate of the Reformed Church in Aalten. The name means ‘House of Rest’. In 1957, over 12,000 m² of land was purchased between Ludgerstraat and the section of Eligiusstraat that was yet to be constructed. The buildings were designed by architects Gjalt van der Zee (1901-1994) and Ir. Cornelis Veerling (1912-1997) from Bolsward.

The main building consisted of 63 single rooms, 4 double rooms, and 8 rooms for live-in staff. In addition, 12 sheltered housing units were built. The total investment amounted to over 1 million guilders.

At its opening in 1960, Beth San provided accommodation for more than seventy residents. The home was considered a modern facility for its time, featuring central heating and provisions for independent seniors in the sheltered housing units.

Renovation and New Construction

Five decades after its opening, the complex no longer met current standards. The complex was demolished and replaced by a new residential care center, which opened in 2013.

The new Beth San consists of two buildings with thirty apartments and five group homes for people with dementia. The group homes are small-scale in design and offer 24-hour care and support. Additionally, the center features a restaurant, an exercise garden, and spaces for activities and social gatherings, such as exercise classes for seniors (MBVO) and an internet café.

Next to Beth San, a residential building for independent seniors was erected, featuring thirteen apartments and an underground parking garage. This complex replaced the sheltered housing units that previously stood there.