EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Encouraging the Moluccan elderly to use health services

Encouraging the Moluccan elderly to use health services

Introduction

Moordrecht has a large Moluccan community. Within this community, there is a large group of elderly people who are in need of care.

Problem

How can Moluccan parents in Moordrecht be encouraged to use health services?

Description

The elderly make limited use of Thuiszorg (Home Care) and do not or hardly use a Verzorgingshuis (Elderly People’s Home). They do, however, make considerable use of Moluccan volunteer carers. The volunteer carers, who often care for their parent(s) or family members in addition to working, are overburdened. At the commission of the city of Moordrecht, the PRIMA project was created to offer a solution for this problem.

Approach

The best plan of approach was determined during a meeting with volunteer carers and representatives of the Moluccan community, care institutes and the city of Moordrecht. The meeting revealed that the Moluccan elderly could be given the necessary care when their social world is taken account of. This means that the institutes for the care of the elderly and the Moluccan community are jointly responsible for the care offered at district level.

In order to give the Moluccan elderly the right care, setting up an adequately functioning support point in the district is necessary. This is the basis upon which the care for the elderly is built. It is also important that the directive role of the Moluccan community is given form and that the parties involved learn to cooperate. Setting up a support system for the volunteer carers is also needed. The support shall focus on the content and the organisation of the care. Accessibility can be increased through the inter-culturalisation of the care institutes.

Results

Moluccan volunteer carers followed a senior citizens’ information course so that they can inform Moluccan elderly about growing old in Moordrecht.
Representatives of the Upa Ama Ina Foundation facilitated communication with the Moluccan community.
The cooperation between the various parties in this project went well. It was clear to each party what its tasks were.
With a PR-campaign, Moordrecht Health Centre will increase the accessibility of its organisation to the Moluccan elderly.
The local authorities and Vierstroom are busy setting up a service point. The local authorities are taking responsibility for this and will try to take the next step as quickly as possible in good consultation with the Moluccan community.

Contact info

Sovov bv Adviesbureau (Sovov bv Consultancy)
B. van der Linden, tel. +31 34 3579080

Project start date

01/09/2004

Links

Sovov bv Consultancy (in Dutch)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Keywords

Social services