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Question of the Arnhem SoLiLL-group to the "Bread groups".

Introduction.

1. Living with their children.

Far into the 20th century it was common in the Netherlands, especially in the rural area , that seniors with health problems went living with their children to be cared by them.
Besides that, in former times there were roles for others like the church in taking care for seniors.

2. Old people's homes.

By the nineteen sixties, the government started building old people's homes. People of 65 and older could live there fully cared.

3. A standard procedure.

Nowadays, seniors prefer to live independent as long as possible.

a. Help from children and relatives.
The government take the line that, if seniors get troubles with physical or mental limitations, they will call in the help of their children, other relatives or people from their social network.

b. Home care services.
Also, they can use the help of the Homecare services "Thuiszorg", an independent institute which is state-aided.
This institute can give help to seniors for a maximum of two hours per day.

c. Old people's home / nursing home.
Do they need more help, the can be admitted into a old people's home, which has more care facilities.
If the seniors almost cannot do anything by their own and need nursing, they are taking in a nursing home.
In these last two situations, old people's home and nursing home, the older people have to leave their own house, in which they often lived for many years.

4. No longer the standard procedure; home care, old people's home / nursing home.

Recently, standard solutions are not longer taken for granted. Seniors don't like asking their children or relatives for help.

They prefer to stay as long as possible in their own homes and expect receiving there the help, which they need in stead of moving to a old people's home or nursery home.

5. Experiments.

To meet these wishes, there are experiments in the Netherlands.

a. the building of houses, which are aging adaptable: houses which are easier to fit in if the inhabitant gets physical limitations. (For example the possibility to situate the bedroom and the bathroom on the ground level; broad doorframes, when a wheelchair has to be used; no thresholds.

b. a personal budget, a financial compensation, with which the senior with physical limitations, can buy that care which she or he needs;

c. the building of senior houses around a service centre from which the following services are offered: technical support, alarm systems, meal service, shopping service, help with transport, cleaning etcetera.

Our question:

1. Is this description of the standard care solutions for seniors in the Dutch situation, as described at 3a,b,c, recognizable in your country?

2. Are there in your country also experiments in which living and care are being uncoupled and where the older one can stay in his/her own house living independently and can have that care which she or he needs?

3. Can you describe one of these experiments?