Older people not enthusiastically about moving to a care home: much preferably preferably independently

Only 8 percent of the elderly people living at home want to move to a care home as soon as they need more care and support. They prefer to relocate to an independent apartment in a residential complex with its own front door key and care on call. Or do they continue to live at their old address by calling in more home care. This is apparent from a poll to 3,583 to be released this week, 65 over-65 living at home, carried out by research agency ABBI on behalf of the Anbo-PCOB Elderly Association.

The outcome is salient, because the Schoof cabinet is investigating a return of the care home. This form of living was abolished about ten years ago to curb the costs of elderly care. In the nursing home, also known as ‘retirement home’, somewhat vulnerable elderly people lived in their own room. They shared a living room, often ate together and undertook group activities. Healthcare workers helped, among other things, waxes, combing hair, attracting support stockings. The health of the elderly deteriorated, then they could move to the nursing home, for more intensive care.

No less than 90 percent prefer to live in an independent apartment with its own front door key

Minister of Health Fleur Agema (PVV) would like the nursing home back, it turned out in 2023 when she, as a member of parliament, submitted an initiative bill with BBB MP Nicki Pouw-Verweij. They called the closure of care homes ‘a mistake’ in view of the aging, the growing waiting list for nursing homes and the increasing number of people with dementia. « Isn’t it time to live again in a joint home with care and support? »

Their plan would cost 600 million euros, an amount that is also mentioned in the Outline Agreement of the Cabinet Schoof.

Old age

But the elderly do not long for a joint house, according to the poll of the Elderly Association. The sample is representative of 65s living at home: data was weighed for, among other things, gender, education, age and region. « Suppose, » was the question, « You need more care through old -age complaints, you don’t have a partner and you are still ‘too good’ for the nursing home: what would you do? » In that case, 29 percent say they prefer to switch on home care, 18 percent ‘don’t know’, the remaining 53 percent are open to moving.

But where? Only 14 percent of these ‘movers’ say they want to live in a care home, where care workers enter their room after a knock on the door. No less than 90 percent prefer to live in an independent apartment with their own front door key in a so -called ‘residential care complex’ for seniors – healthcare comes by appointment.

Asked which aspects they find important when choosing a form of living, most elderly people cross ‘independence’, followed by « privacy (my own front door) » and « decide for yourself what my day looks like ».

« If you ask the question: » Do you want the retirement home back? « , Many people are willing to fill in » yes « , says press officer Simon van Herpen of the Elderly Association. « But if the question is: » Do you want to live there yourself? « Is enthusiasm much less. »

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