Department of Zorg received 97 reports of serious cross -border behavior in residential care centers last year
© Marc Herremans – Mediahuis
In 2024, the Department of Zorg received 97 reports of residential care centers of serious facts of cross -border behavior, for this year there are already five. « In the majority of cases, this concerns facts that occur between residents, » says spokesman Joris Moonens. Although there is a reporting obligation for such facts, the department is aware that this will be an underestimation.
Source: Belga
Today at 6:06 PM
« Cross -border behavior is of course a broad concept, including very often facts between residents, » explains Moonens. « This is about verbal, physical or sexual aggression. In residential care centers you naturally also often have to deal with residents with confusion or dementia. »
But even if not all facts are reported, there is no question of a grand and widespread problem, Moonens suspects. « In total there are more than 800 residential care centers, where everything will stay together 80,000 people. »
Last week it was announced that young employees of the Oudenaardse Woonzorgcentrum Meerspoort had been guilty of the unsubsental treatment of residents, and had filmed those facts. The public prosecutor opened an investigation and progressed an investigating judge. A few days later, an incident came to light and competent Minister Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) in the Flemish Parliament, in Kortrijk, said on Tuesday in the Flemish Parliament that can also be seen on the images in question that six residents of a Gavers Woonzorgcentrum can also be seen.
At the end of last week, the inspection that had the department carried out at Meervespoort showed that the provision has no internal procedures and policy on the prevention of, identifying, reporting and dealing with cross -border behavior. By April 4, the residential care center must have worked out a procedure for the prevention and detection of and appropriate response to cross -border behavior towards their residents.
Gennez said in parliament on Tuesday that she wants to suspend a number of procedures. She also has it investigated whether residential care centers that do not report serious incidents can be financially sanctioned.
