Audit of chronic care provided to elderly people living at home

The Chronic Care Act (WLZ) provides for the care of people who need round-the-clock support or care at or close to home. Many of the care recipients are elderly people with advanced dementia and/or a serious physical condition.

The government has limited the number of places in nursing homes and wants more chronic care to be provided at home. Home care for the elderly used to be mainly a temporary measure in anticipation of a place in a nursing home but has increasingly become permanent. It is therefore particularly important that provision of chronic care under the WLZ is organised effectively.

It is not at present. The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZA) came to this conclusion in an investigation of care administration offices. The offices must ensure that elderly people receive the care they are entitled to under the WLZ. The NZA found that the offices do not yet arrange home care correctly. The Health and Youth Care Inspectorate also concluded that the quality of chronic care provided to elderly people living at home was often below standard. 

What are we auditing?

We want to know why care administration offices are failing to organise chronic care effectively. And what it means for elderly people if their home care is not in order. We will also assess whether the care administration offices, the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and the NZA are doing the right things to improve the provision of chronic home care. We will examine the various roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the chronic care system.

Why are we carrying out this audit?

The provision of more care at home is a significant and far-reaching development. It affects not only chronic care recipients but also chronic care providers, who are having to cope with staff shortages and an ageing population. We want this audit to provide the House of Representatives and the government with an insight into the problems in chronic care provision and so contribute to its quality, whether it is provided at home or in a nursing home. 

Do you want to take part in this audit?

The Court of Audit invites you to share any information you may have that would benefit our audit. We appreciate all contributions, knowledge and experience you may care to share with us on this topic. Simply send an email to bijdrage@rekenkamer.nl.

We read all emails carefully and treat them in confidence. However, we are not able to reply to every contribution we receive.