Home care in The Netherlands

If you are in need of medical care but don’t have to stay in hospital, you can apply for a wide range of home care services. More than half a million people in the Netherlands live in nursing homes, or use home care (thuiszorg) or maternity care (kraamzorg).

Home care for the elderly and disabled The government’s policy in recent years has been to help as many elderly people as possible to live in their own homes, as this is cheaper than living in nursing or care homes. If you live at home and are elderly or disabled, you get assistance from home care organisations. In order to arrange this, the first step is to visit your GP (huisarts) to discuss your needs.

Next, an assessment is made of the needs you may have, as well as how family, friends and neighbours can assist. As a result, most home care consists of a mixed program of acre by professional providers and help around the house from informal carers, called mantelzorg. Professional carers will be able to help with simple medical tasks, such as changing wound dressings, handing out medication and taking blood pressure readings. They can also provide assistance with a wide variety of day-to-day activities, such as getting in and out of bed, dressing and undressing, going outside, eating and drinking, using the toilet and personal hygiene. Those depending on home care can also receive shopping assistance and dietary advice. If necessary, other care providers will visit you at home, such as physiotherapists, mental health professionals et cetera. As the main providers of care, district nurses (wijkzorg) are the first point of contact and liaison with the municipality to coordinate a client’s needs. They also stay in touch with family and friends and other informal caregivers. To find a home care worker, ask your doctor or check zorgkaartnederland.nl/ thuiszorg (in Dutch).

It is also possible to receive home care for a short period of time, for example if you’ve just been discharged from hospital and are not yet able to fully take care of yourself. This is usually arranged by the hospital before you are discharged. By law (the Zorgverzekeringswet) healthcare insurers are responsible for care at home, until someone is admitted to hospital. Home care may therefore be covered by your insurance and/or supplemented by your municipality. You may also have to pay some expenses out of pocket, but these may be reimbursed if they are covered by your additional insurance package (aanvullende verzekering).

Maternity care When you are pregnant, you will be asked if you want to deliver your baby in a hospital or at home. The Netherlands boasts the highest number of home deliveries in the world; giving birth is considered a natural process, that should be done with as little outside intervention (including medication) as possible. However, the number of home births is dropping and stands now at 13% of all births.

After giving birth, the mother will receive professional help at home (kraamzorg) for a maximum of 49 hours spread over 8 days. A nurse looks after the mother and infant, helps around the house, gives guidance on breastfeeding and looks after other family members, especially other children. If you’re new to the country, this kind of support is highly valuable! Note that you have to arrange kraamzorg with a specific organization fairly early in your pregnancy; the popular ones are booked quickly. It is covered by your health insurance, apart from a small contribution that you will have to pay yourself.

Pharmacies When registering with your GP, you will also be required to register with a pharmacy. Prescriptions issued by your GP will be sent directly to your pharmacy, which will check for possible problems (e.g. medications that cannot be taken together). Depending on your insurance package, the bill may be sent automatically to your insurer; otherwise, you will have to pay first and then make a claim with your insurance. Many pharmacies offer drop-off services delivering medication to your home free of charge. Another possibility is to pick up medication after pharmacy hours from a secure pick-up box.