Living and care separate

Commercial nursing homes are allowed to make a profit because they live on paper and keep care separate. Rent is paid by the client, and sponsorship is paid by PGB. Profit can be made on the residential part, but this system is risky.

warns Patrick Jeuris, MD, professor of affordable and accessible health care at Radboud University Medical Center.

Save on personnel costs

In practice, according to him, you see that many of these types of organizations are thus trying to save on personnel costs and that often means fewer hands on the bed. “And this is related to quality.”

Meanwhile, the chains — often foreign ones — are making big money, says Jaures. “We’re seeing profit rates between 7 and 15 percent, which is about as profitable as owning shares in Apple.”

There are no legal frameworks

And while older people with dementia receive lower-quality care, says Ferensow, the professional association of geriatrics professionals. “We worry that often there is not enough knowledge about dementia and how to deal with it. Or there are no good agreements with the GP or -” says committee chair Jacqueline de Groot.

“This affects the quality of life of the population,” she stressed. According to Verenso, starting a nursing home in the Netherlands is very easy. “There are very few pre-tests and no legal frameworks that the parties have to abide by,” explains de Groot.

The system is wrong

Linda’s parents no longer live in the private institution. Her father passed away and her mother lives in a closed ward of a nursing home. “Looking at the situation, it was the only and best place and the three of us were able to provide that care,” their daughter looks back.

“But it’s not actually true,” she says. “The system is not good. Money is made by investors on the backs of our parents, employees and taxpayers. This can’t be true.”