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Ivan Suzman asked: "What funding for care is possible from the dutch
government, for PWP? Is home care possible for poor and low-income people?"

Hello Ivan and other interested listmembers,

While trying to answer your question, I more and more found out how complex
the system in the Netherlands is, so I decided to try to give you a general
idea of the social security and healthcare system in my country, hoping I
will meanwhile answer your questions.

Financially:
Everybody pays several premiums from their income.
When you become ill or disabled (part of) your income will be payed through.
If you are for a longer period unable to work (as can be the case with PWP),
gradually the income you receive gets smaller, until you reach the social
minimum income (this is the guaranteed minimum income you receive when you
are long-term unemployed, ill, or disabled).
When you retire from working (at the age of 60-65) you get a basic pension
for the rest of your life. If you have payed extra premiums, you get extra
pension.

Medically:
Everybody must pay premiums for insurance for medical costs.
This insurance pays the bills from your own physician, specialist,
physiotherapist, dentist, hospital bills and medications. In some cases you
have to pay a (relatively small) amount of money to cover a part of the
total costs of the medical care you actually receive.

Socially/Care:
There are several institutions, that provide care. Again everybody pays
insurance-premiums for this. Your doctor or specialist can write a report,
that arguments the need of a patient for one or more types of care. (In some
cases again you have to pay an extra (small) amount of money of the total
costs of the actually received care).

Sorts of care, that are available, are:

At home:
medical care: f.e. a nurse washes you and helps you get dressed.
social care: f.e. someone helps to clean your house.
other care: f.e. wheelchair, special tools for ADL.

In institutions for care:
(if you are still able to do things yourself)
in these homes you are (partly) living on your own, but meals, medical care,
etc., are provided for.

In institutions for physical disabled:
(if you require help for most of your daily activities)
the care you need is constantly available.

Of course this system also has its faults and is also limited by financial
restrictions. Some people will still not get the care they want/need, but in
general it is a reasonably good working system, certainly when you compare
it with other systems in other countries. But of course it is a very
expensive system, and it needs the solidarity from the "healthy" people.

I hope this anwers your questions,

Greetings from the country of the tulips,

Hans.

Hans van der Genugten <[log in to unmask]>