community care Archives

What is the Best Long-term Care Plan and Why do we Need One?

January 7, 2022December 21, 2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

The question “What is the best long-term care plan?” is not discussed much. We tend to leave the preparation of this plan to care professionals. Whether this is the best choice though remains to be seen. Our long-term care deserves more consideration.

A good starting point for the debate about our personal long-term care plan is the way long-term care is funded at the moment. From there I will discuss our options to prepare for the best personal long-term care plan.

The maintenance of dignity and independence, access to care services and quality of life are the goals of long-term care. People want to live in their own homes and neighbourhoods for as long as possible.

The Advantages of Co-housing, a Revival of the Village Sentiment

December 9, 2021December 9, 2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

In Amsterdam, there are at least 20 co-housing projects. Most of these projects are established by older people. But what is co-housing, what are the advantages, and how do you start and maintain a co-housing project?

From the outset, any co-housing project involves a community of people. These people deliberately choose to invest in each other. Moreover, most co-housing projects contribute to the local community, to education, and to the environment.

To live up to these ideals they organize all sorts of activities, for those that live in the project as well as for outsiders.