On July 31, 2023, Ute Bychowski retired, and this was celebrated in the company of her colleagues from the Frankfurter Verband. For many years, Ute has served as a valued director of care within this organisation, where she was responsible for all nursing homes.
Among other things, she dedicated herself to caring for elderly people of Turkish origin in Frankfurt and its surrounding areas. Under her leadership, a day care center specifically for these elderly individuals was established, and many employees with a Turkish background were also recruited. Over the years, these elderly individuals began using the regular facilities as well. Several of these initiatives were presented during the ENIEC annual meeting in 2016.
Furthermore, Ute was a member of ENIEC from the very beginning. In the early years of this century, we met in The Hague when Ute traveled to Schildershoek with her colleague Frau Jan. It was a very pleasant visit.
In 2005, when Grete and I started approaching our network to participate in the very first ENIEC meeting in Copenhagen (2007), I naturally contacted Ute directly. She responded enthusiastically and decided to join immediately. She only asked one question: “Can my director come along too?”
The rest is history; from that moment on, Frankfurt became an essential pillar within ENIEC, with members like Ute, Meltem, and Frédéric whom we could always rely on. Ute is one of the few members who attended all ENIEC annual meetings, which means we have traveled together extensively. We have also traveled to China. Since 2010, the Frankfurter Verband has been a valued partner of the Suzhou Social Welfare Institute, the oldest care organisation in China.
Ute has made a significant contribution to ENIEC through her involvement and dedication as a board member. Of course, Ute will remain a member of ENIEC. Membership is personal, and with all her experience, we are delighted that she will remain active within ENIEC for many more years.
Written by Jan Booij
