Omring is setting up a fully sustainable care center for Texel residents: 53 beautiful apartments

Omring is going to build a fully sustainable nursing home. The new nursing home wants to become an example in the field of sustainability and health. Employee vitality will become a spearhead. “Sustainability is part of the care we want to offer.”

It is a beautiful plan that precedes years of preparation. In the country and also on Texel, there is an increasing aging population. That means responding to the care that is needed. Omring does this by building a completely new complex on the site of the former Vrije School Maris Stella and the gymnasium on Gasthuisstraat in Den Burg. This responds to the increasing demand for elderly care.

Waiting lists

Sometimes it happens that elderly people in need are temporarily unable to get a place in the nursing home. Seniors who suddenly need care for whatever reason, have to go to the mainland. Due to travel times of partners, they would like to be cared for on the island. “The nursing home works with waiting lists. You can’t always go right away,” says regional manager of Omring Katrijn van der Vlerk. “Sometimes you have to wait longer than you would like. That is also a national problem, not specific to Texel. Everything is aimed at getting people back to the island as quickly as possible.”

What kind of people come into a nursing home? “Then there is a lot going on,” explains Katrijn. “These are people who are no longer able to direct their day. They have cognitive problems, such as dementia. But also people with a serious somatic disorder, such as a cerebral hemorrhage or paralysis. People who need 24-hour hourly care in their immediate vicinity. And therefore need help with their daily tasks. It is a relatively small group, seventy percent of people with dementia still live at home. This can be done for a very long time, for example with informal care or care provided by partners. The sense of community on Texel is very big.”

It is not the first expansion in the healthcare sector. Also the rooms in the location Goldards being in Den Burg recently renewed and adapted for care. And then there’s the complex Schuttehof on the Verzetstraat, which was built two years ago on the outskirts of Den Burg, where 32 seniors who depend on care can live. “In principle, all locations have become nursing homes,” says regional manager Katrijn van der Vlerk. “Many people don’t know that. The people who live here all have a similar indication, as we call it in professional jargon.”

The new complex is still in the final design phase where the finishing touches are being put on the i’s and crosses. If all goes well, the old school building and gymnasium will be demolished at the end of the year. Construction will start next year. “The first stone is not laid, because we are not going to build in a classical way. The wooden modules are made ready-made in a factory. The modules are then transported to Texel. And here they are stacked. The outside of the building is finished in a short time It has a warm appearance,” says manager Omring Adriaan Kranenburg.

Positive health is the keyword in healthcare. That means more livable space for residents. And also a lot of green, both inside and outside. “Our goal is not only to realize more places. We also want to look for ways to bring in the outside world and vice versa,” says Adriaan. For example, the new complex will have a lot of indoor and outdoor space where residents can interact with visitors be able to stay. The apartments will also be enlarged and residents will have their own kitchenette and sanitary facilities.

That is already a big difference with the current nursing home that recently celebrated its 45th anniversary. “A nursing home is quite scary for many people. You shouldn’t be there. We understand that. But we would like to change that with the new building and lower the threshold.” The demand for care is increasing and is also becoming more complex. “We are in a growth scenario. Based on empirical figures and demographic data, a forecast has been made of how many places we will need in the future. We expect to be able to meet the demand within a few years,” says Katrijn.

Nevertheless, it remains an estimate for Omring how many elderly people will depend on intensive care in the future. “It is also partly watching coffee grounds,” says Katrijn. Politicians are committed to allowing the elderly to live at home for as long as possible. Finances have also been set up for this. “But certainly on Texel you often hear that the elderly live in a house that is too big. They would like to move to a ground floor apartment. But those houses are not there. What will the demand from the Texel population bring more?”

Not enough people

In addition, there are concerns about getting enough staff. “We can no longer cope with professionals alone,” says Adriaan. “Due to the combination of aging and dejuvenation, we don’t have enough people to provide care. It’s not a doomsday scenario that it doesn’t work anymore. But we have to organize it differently. We are also increasingly asking the question of what people themselves can do with their network doing. As healthcare providers, we are not yet used to asking people if they can still do something for their partners or family.”

As soon as the new complex on the Gasthuisstraat is built, the old nursing home on the Hollewal demolished. It is not yet known what will happen to the vacant space. “We can now think about that,” says Katrijn. “The land belongs to Omring. We are thinking about housing for senior citizens or sheltered housing. But we don’t have any concrete plans yet. People you speak to indicate that they are not yet ready for a place with 24-hour care. But something that is suitable for receiving home care and where you live together, does meet a need.” An additional advantage is that the location is close to the center of the village.