2023-05-17 09:23:01
Living at home, even if it is no longer possible to live independently due to someone’s advanced age, is a much-felt wish. But often there are various disorders and vulnerabilities that lead to uncertainty and unfortunately sometimes also to acute crises. The quality of life then comes under serious pressure. General practitioners and geriatric specialists can partly prevent this by working together– reports Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland.
GPs and their practice nurses often have a good insight into who is frail among the elderly in their practice. The geriatric specialist knows what care is needed to match the life phase and wishes of the elderly patient. In this way, both professionals complement each other. Nicole van Drumpt, specialist in geriatric medicine and chief medical officer at Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland, is closely involved in this development: “There is an aging population and moreover, people of advanced age are living at home more and more. Providing care where it is most needed means that we, as specialists in geriatric medicine, are increasingly visible in primary care.”
(Photo ZHA – 2023)
Nicole van Drumpt, geriatric specialist and senior physician of Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland
Customized care. Specialists in geriatric medicine can advise general practitioners and visit vulnerable patients at home to assess the situation. They look at what someone needs to live at home as independently as possible, with aids or support from relatives, and possibly digital care or district nursing. The elderly receive tailor-made care and this saves costs, because this prevents unnecessary hospitalizations and visits to the emergency department and a move to a nursing home is less likely. From Drump: ‘We have been associated with the neighborhood partnerships in Amstelveen for years. Together with general practitioners, case managers, district nursing and welfare, we provide chain care in primary care. It goes without saying that experiences in other regions are used for this.’
Financially healthy approach. The geriatric specialists are usually affiliated with nursing homes and geriatric rehabilitation institutions. Their efforts in the neighborhood fall under primary care and are paid for from the health insurance, which also poses a financial challenge. The funding for the work performed by geriatric specialists is not yet sufficient. That is why Zonnehuisgroep Amstelland, Amstelring and Brentano, as elderly care organizations from Amstelland and Meerlanden and Huisartsenalliantie Amstelland, are joining forces for a future-proof structural and financially sound approach, together with financier Zorg en Zekerheid.
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