During her internship in a nursing home, Kempers had already seen that things could be done differently. That people in traditional healthcare environments often passively wait for the next time of the day. “Here they have attention all day long,” she says. “You can activate them, stimulate them and reach them in a different way.” And that also happened in Huize Odoorn. Friendships were formed, clients found a second home and partners and informal caregivers were given some space to catch their breath.
But behind that warm atmosphere, reality emerged, a reality that was increasingly difficult to ignore. “We really tried everything,” says Kempers. “But at some point it just stops.”
The reason is hard and sad for Kempers, because it is no longer financially feasible. Costs have risen considerably in recent years. Wages according to the collective labor agreement, fuel prices, maintenance of vans that travel many kilometers every day, insurance and energy costs for the large building, everything became more expensive. “We have no influence on that,” she says. At the same time, rates are lagging behind. “They are disproportionate to what it costs to keep this running.”
Cuts were made where possible. Cook less, buy more cheaply, look critically at every expense. But many costs are fixed and therefore unavoidable. “At a certain point you reach a point where you can no longer choose with your feelings,” Kempers says softly. “No matter how much you love doing this work, I really hope that initiatives like this can continue, but I’m afraid of it. I know it’s just very difficult financially.”
The decision to quit did not come suddenly. For a year there was calculation, doubting and hoping. Maybe it would still work out, maybe something would change. But in the end, closing turned out to be the only option. “Then you choose to finish everything neatly,” she says.
That choice affects everyone involved in Huize Odoorn. Clients who have found their place here, employees who have been working there for years. “It’s a complete circle,” says Kempers. Some clients don’t understand. “They ask: how is this possible?” And somehow that is difficult to explain.
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