“If we don’t do anything, we will have disasters behind our front door.” The message from director Frido Kraanen of healthcare organization Omring is clear. West Friesland is aging much faster on average than the rest of the Netherlands. That is why various organizations have joined forces to make the region more future-proof.
The numbers don’t lie. In 2030, the number of people aged 75+ in the region will increase by more than half (55%). For comparison in the rest of the Netherlands, this is 40%. By then, 13% of the 219,000 West Frisians will be over 75 years old. And if the region does not respond quickly, it will cause a number of problems. “Then we will no longer have nursing home places available and people will live in homes that are not suitable for providing good care,” says Kraanen, who is also chairman of the Westfries Residential Care Pact.
Help with living at home longer
The story is not completely new. Warnings have been coming from various sides for some time now. For example, by the Care As the West Frisians Want it foundation. They already offered in Hoorn in 2021 a manifesto to wake up the municipalities.
The Westfries Residential Care Pact must now bring about change. A collaboration between healthcare and welfare organizations, municipalities and housing associations, among others. “We actually do two things,” the healthcare administrator explains. “How can we make living at home longer possible? And what kind of homes are we going to create.”
2,200 new seniors’ homes needed
In total, more than 2,200 new older homes must be built by 2030. And there is a wish list attached to it. Preferably close to facilities, such as a supermarket and also so that people can get together. “It must be realistic to achieve this. Especially in times of scarcity, it is important to set the right priorities. So our call is also: If you can build, but not everything, then at least build homes for the elderly. Otherwise we have a problem.”
It is a story that also appeals to Wim van Hilten from Westerblok. As a member of the Care Like the West Fries Foundation, he believes it is important that people’s well-being is also taken into account and that they do not become lonely.
Awareness
He also emphasizes creating awareness among the elderly. Being 75 years old himself, he knows it better than anyone. “I have thought about that. We have adapted our home so that we can live downstairs. But I also know that some adjustments in our house are not possible and that you have to do something different. You have to think about those kinds of things. Still I keep seeing a lot of people being robbed and only thinking about it when the need arises.”
He knows better than anyone how difficult it was to get the challenges surrounding an aging population on the agenda. Yet he has confidence in the Westfries Residential Care Pact.
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It looks nice on paper. But how realistic is the plan? And don’t the ambitions ultimately disappear in the bottom of a drawer somewhere? “We jointly see the urgency and collectively put our shoulders to the wheel. And ultimately we also feel it if we don’t do it. And if that is not a motivation, then you have to look for another job,” says Omring director Kraanen.
Hoorn councilor Marjon van der Ven is also happy with the agreements made. “We are now going to take concrete steps, in addition to those we have already taken. How people can make their homes safer. And how we can realize new forms of housing. Clustered homes, courtyards where people can live and support each other. And moreover, more concentrated so that it makes logistics easier for the healthcare provider.”
Creating attraction for young people
And besides the Westfries Care Pact, the alderman sees another important solution to do something about the aging population. And surprisingly enough, these are young people. Because although the West Frisian population will grow in the coming years, this will only be due to the elderly. The group of young people is actually shrinking. And in order to keep the region liveable and to tackle the shortage on the labor market, the municipalities are trying to make West Friesland more attractive to that target group.