20 August 2013

by FFE EU News staff

Nursing home group Vierstroom is asking families and friends to spend at least 4 hours a month helping out residents. The group operates 16 homes in and around Gouda, a city and municipality located in South Holland province, the Netherlands.



Veirstroom also publishes their own magazine thrice a year.

Manager Jeroen van den Oever says that this “moral requirement” will be an icing on the cake alongside formal care provided by trained professionals. The families of 18 new residents in three locations were told by Vierstroom to contribute help by taking their loved ones for walks, serving coffee, and participating in other activities.

So far, 15 of the families responded positively, 2 were doubtful, while 1 chose to apply in another home. Oever observed that the residents were also responding positively to the new policy.

Vierstroom’s policy mirrors the Dutch government’s wish that families and friends take an active role to help the elderly remain living in their own homes.