These parties often all have their own role and responsibility and are usually paid by a variety of different organizations (insurer, health care office, municipality) that have different requirements when it comes to the rules. To further complicate matters, these providers of care, help and support are often in competition with each other. Partly because of this, it is no wonder that informal caregivers are overburdened, because they are especially burdened with all this variety. If we want to future-proof care for the elderly at home in the Netherlands, this fragmentation needs urgent attention.

We think it is important to develop approaches in the Netherlands to deal with this growing problem. In the long run, of course, a simplified indication system and a single policy, steering, and funding framework from The Hague would be helpful – but that will take some time.

To move forward in the shorter term, our proposal is to use learning labs at the district and neighborhood level to work on solutions in which district nursing, welfare organizations, nursing care, family physicians, hospitals, neighborhood teams and corporations work together in an integrated way around the older person’s home. Call it Buurtzorg+, as long as it includes everything an elderly person needs, from care and assistance to housing and welfare and preventing loneliness. And as long as it is manageable for the informal caregiver.

We believe this will bring more attention to the elderly at home and (eventually) reduce the pressure on nursing homes. As far as we are concerned, this is an inspiring vision. We will discuss this with the people around us in 2023.