HOME CARE IN THE NETHERLANDS

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.

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:

• Elderly people
• Those who are chronically ill
• Those with a physical disability
• Those with mental disability

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

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

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:

• Check the telephone book
• Ask your GP or midwife
• Visit www.zorgkaartnederland.nl/thuiszorg

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