New Home Care approach offers more time for the elderly

New home care approach offers more time for the elderly
Photo Credit: Studio040 / Tessa Stappers Diny Huibers with her home support worker Kim.

A new method introduced by ZuidZorg is proving highly successful in the region. Non-medical home support workers visit elderly individuals to assist with household tasks and other daily activities. This approach helps older people maintain their independence for longer while easing the pressure on traditional care services.

“Good morning, Diny!” home support worker Kim cheerfully greets Mrs. Huibers, who has mild dementia. Together, they plan the day: first a shower, then a sandwich, and later a trip to a garden centre. Mrs. Huibers, pleasantly surprised, quips, “Can I really go out?” Kim chuckles in response.

Every morning, Kim visits several elderly clients, providing assistance with everyday tasks and offering them much-needed companionship.

Rummi

Kim is part of team Gewoon Thuis, offering a new form of care that has been offered by ZuidZorg in the Southeast Brabant region for a year now. Personal contact and time for fun things are important here. Where regular care usually stops at tasks such as administering medication and putting on support stockings, the home support workers go a bit further: “They provide almost all care but also well-being, so they go shopping with people, go to the market or play a game of Rummikuppen,” says Linda Berger, Gewoon Thuis coordinator ZuidZorg Son en Breugel. “This is very important for these people because everything grows with attention and home support workers have a very important role in this. This was previously not possible within home care because you already had to be at the next client within ten minutes.”

Home support workers don’t just reduce pressure on home care. “People who are on the waiting list to go to a nursing home, for example because they suffer from dementia, we can let them live at home longer. That’s why it’s also important for hospital throughput.” When people are admitted there, they usually cannot go home until help is arranged. If that’s not there, they occupy a bed. “So we’re in favor of that, too,” Berger explains.

Unique

Gewoon Thuis started in the Eindhoven area in 2023 with two teams. Within a year that has grown to fifteen teams with over 150 clients. Before that, more than 200 new employees were hired. “That’s unique. I’ve been working in healthcare for a long time, but I’ve never experienced such growth,” Berger said.

Despite the great success, a project of this size also brings challenges. “Because we work a lot with unskilled employees, we sometimes encounter unexpected situations,” Berger explains. “For example, think about how to deal with people with dementia. We discuss these kinds of issues within the team.”

Kim also recognizes these challenges. While making coffee in Diny’s home, she talks about them. “People who get angry or refuse care. Then you think: oh well that’s another side. Then you suddenly think to yourself: how is this possible?” If something happens that Kim doesn’t know what to do with, she can always fall back on a team of professionals who assist the home support workers. That’s a nice thought. “It can be hard to set your boundaries. Especially when a situation no longer feels safe, it’s important to have the courage to leave.”

Despite these challenges, clients like Ms. Huibers are very happy with the extra attention they now receive. Diny even says she “never wants to lose” Kim. Partly because of this enthusiasm, ZuidZorg is determined to expand the project further in the region so that they can eventually support even more elderly people.

Source: Studio040

For Eindhoven News: Chaitali Sengupta.

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