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Living at home longer with dementia in Rotterdam

Pilot project

Publication date: 01 July 2015

In the spring of 2013, health insurance company Zilveren Kruis/ Achmea and the municipality of Rotterdam concluded the covenant “Working on a healthy Rotterdam together”. From the assumptions that people grow old more pleasantly in their own familiar surroundings and that living at home longer involves lower costs than intramural care, the ambition is to postpone or acquit intramural admission. Additionally, the aim is to organise health care and support at home so that this can be effectuated in a pleasant and safe manner.

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The project aims to make a contribution to designing the care and support of people with dementia and their informal carers as efficiently as possible, so that people with dementia can continue to live in an independent housing situation and an admission to a nursing institution is postponed.

Project description

Within the project, 2 x 20 to 25 people with dementia and their informal carers are followed and coached intensively through to 2017, with a view to facilitating them maximally, to enable them to remain in charge in an independent living situation. Health care and support comprise all the aspects around life of someone with dementia: suitable housing (adjustments in the home, home automation/e-health), vital network (support for involuntary aides, spending of the day) and clear information and the aspects around care and nursing. The project will be implemented in two districts in Rotterdam where many elderly persons live and where right now the dementia chain partners are already collaborating closely together; Lombardijen and Ommoord. The two target groups are people in the early stage of dementia and persons in a later stage of dementia, in which living at home is becoming hard.

A creative team of experts from various parties (care, welfare, municipality, university of applied sciences,  discusses the demand for support with participating clients on the basis of an analysis of needs in which attention is paid to the problems, home situation and needs of the client and informal carer. Issues such as integrality, innovation, use of technical applications and suitability are discussed.

Possible interventions may include:

  • Community Occupational therapy for people with dementia according to the COTiD-method Realising assistance at home also focusing on psycho-education, assistance at transitions, care coordination, challenging behavior
  • Reinforcing the social network and technological devices, advice to size by RUAS (and use of technological devices if this is financially feasible)

With the learning experiences that are gained within this project, the first steps are taken towards the remote prospect, which is to enable people with dementia to live at home as long as they live.