If you require medical care, but do not need to be hospitalized, then read on to find out how to make use of the Dutch home care system. There is one major home care organization in the Netherlands, called ‘Thuiszorg. This literally translates as ‘home care’ in English. Thuiszorg has been created to help inform, care for and prevent complications for those who require medical assistance at home.

Who is home care for?

Long-Term Home Care in NL

Annually, approximately 600,000 people make use of Dutch home care services. If you fall into any of the following categories, you may be eligible to receive regular, long-term Thuiszorg in the Netherlands:

Temporary Home Care in NL

Under some circumstances, you may only need to receive home care for a temporary period of time. For example, if you:

  • Have just come home from the hospital
  • Are preparing for the birth of your baby
  • Require follow-up care, after giving birth. This is called: ‘kraamzorg‘ in Dutch
  • Are recovering from a serious illness or accident

Forms of Home Care

Through Thuizsorg, you will have access to many different types of home care resources. They include:

  • Prenatal and postpartum courses
  • Rental of ‘bedklossen’. These are metal frames, used to raise a bed. They are helpful for women who have just given birth at home
  • Baby scales
  • Meal services
  • Rental crutches
  • Rental wheelchairs
  • Special rental beds
  • Rental bed pans
  • Rental lifting devices. The home care service will transport these to your house and, if necessary, install them for you

Household Help in NL

If you are unable to manage your own basic needs and household tasks, due to illness or handicap, you will receive the following forms of care:

  • Hairdressing and pedicure services
  • Assistance in buying new clothing
  • Dietary and nutritional advice
  • Thuiszorg offers some free lectures to the public. Others, however, must be paid for

Receiving Home Care

This is how Thuiszorg operates in the Netherlands:

  • The Thuiszorg system is divided into geographic regions
  • The variety of available home care services, and their prices, differs from region to region
  • In most regions there is a special ‘Ouder en Kind’ department of the Thuiszorg organization. This is the ‘parent and child’ department

Your Local Home Care Resources

To find out more about the home care services available in your region you can:

Financing Home Care in NL

The matter of who pays for home care in the Netherlands depends on the type of care that is required. It could be covered by:

  • Your municipality
  • Your insurance policy. This type of funding will be covered by the WLZ. This is the Long-Term Care Act
  • The patient themselves. Unfortunately, in most cases, you will have to contribute something towards the expenses yourself. Ask your insurance company whether you can arrange additional insurance to cover this

Recently Posted on XPat.nl

If you’re an expat living and looking for work in the Netherlands then there are some vital differences you should know about in regards to your job applications. In the Netherlands, as with most places in Europe, the norm is a CV rather than the resume which is commonly used in the United States amongst … Continue reading "The Difference Between a Resume and a CV"
It is that time of year again; the new and annually-updated version of The Holland Handbook is here and ready to be enjoyed! Not only that, but this is the 24th edition! More than twenty years ago, a modest group of three people sat around a table to discuss the possibility of creating a handbook … Continue reading "The Holland Handbook 2024"
Taxes are always complicated. If you have moved to the Netherlands from another country, they can be especially confusing! Many expats carry out business, and therefore earn an income, internationally. This makes what they get taxed on, and by whom, a complex matter. To figure out your own personal tax liability, your residency status and … Continue reading "Dutch Taxes"
The 30%-ruling is a tax advantage, created for employees who are posted or recruited from abroad, to work in the Netherlands. The purpose of this advantage is to cover all the various costs they incur, as a result of moving their lives oversees to. This can be a real blessing to expats! In order to … Continue reading "Dutch 30%-ruling Tax Facility"
Following the legendary previous 8 editions of The UnDutchables, the 9th edition of this all time best seller (more than 300,000 copies sold since 1999) is now available in the Netherlands. The UnDutchables takes an in-depth humorous look at Dutch life, quirks and character. With subjects varying from coffee drinking habits to child rearing, from … Continue reading "The UnDutchables 9.0"
Hello there, future Dutchie! Do you plan to move to Amsterdam or somewhere else in our beautiful country to work or live there? And are you going to stay for more than 90 days? Then you are in the right place! Because when you move to the Netherlands, there are some things you need to … Continue reading "This is your checklist for moving to the Netherlands"

The Holland Handbook 2024

It is that time of year again; the new and annually-updated version of The ...

Dutch Taxes

Taxes are always complicated. If you have moved to the Netherlands from another country they ...

The UnDutchables 9.0

Following the legendary previous eight editions of The UnDutchables, the 9th edition of this all ...

Making the most of your Dutch home

Whether you are renting, staying in a long-term AirBNB or have just bought a ...

Gift giving in the Netherlands-all ...

If you feel like skipping your birthday, you may be in for a challenge when ...

10 things you will find in every Du ...

The Dutch are very fond of houseplants, the more the merrier! You will find the ...

Obtaining a Mortgage as an Expat in ...

Obtaining a mortgage as an expat in the Netherlands can be a complex process, as ...

Help me move to the Netherlands!

Obviously, the decision to move to the Netherlands is not one to be taken lightly ...

The Impact of Technology on Educati ...

Education is unending and pivotal in society. Technology is one of the most dynamic entities ...

Five Renovation Tips to Increase yo ...

Learn how much home renovations cost – and which repairs increase the home value, and which ...