With a lot of stress and a series of physical complaints, Sidney turned to GP Sarah Floris in her practice De Noorderlingen in Buikslotermeer. Sidney is not his real name, he wants to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. Because no physical cause could be found for his complaints, GP Sarah Floris referred him to her practice nurse. The cause turned out to be his homelessness.
Sidney: “I came here with all kinds of physical problems and had a lot of stress because I don’t have a place to live. I have no digital skills and find it difficult to do things myself and don’t know which path to take. I had already been to a community center, but I had to tell my story to a different employee every time. That didn’t work.”
Major health disparities
Rianne van Poelgeest has been supporting GP Sarah Floris in her practice in Buikslotermeer for 3 years. In this part of the neighborhood the health of many residents is much worse than elsewhere in the city. Van Poelgeest referred Sidney to the right authorities to get his life back on track, which reduced his health problems.
“Together with the practice assistant, I have now been able to register for a housing project,” says Sidney. “She also helped me with my finances and arranged a postal address for me. It gives me a little more peace of mind.”
Poverty
Rianne van Poelgeest is a certified practice nurse in Powerful Basic Care. She previously completed a post-graduate course at the InHolland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. “It is mainly the vulnerable patients, who do not have a stable support system, who suffer from their poverty. They are often also victims of the Benefits Affair, they cannot find their way to help, there is a lot of shame. They often do not know what is going on with themselves.”