Families can now house their loved ones in need of care in their backyard

In many communities, families who have loved ones in need of care are now being helped in an unusual way. That's because in recent years it has become easier to live with relatives in a house or on a property. In doing so, the family members in need of care can be accommodated in pre-informal care homes, located, for example, in the backyard, NOS reports.

There are two options for making use of the new housing situation. The small car homes for family members in need of care can be built without permits. However, a medical certificate must be submitted to the municipality to prove that this type of informal care is indeed required.

For the second option, a medical certificate is not required. This is because more than 42 Dutch municipalities have so far allowed the construction of pre-informal care homes ("premantlezorgwoningen"). Only a permit is required for this. In this context, these "nursing homes" represent a type of advanced care measure, as they are intended for people who will only need informal care in the foreseeable future. For example, individuals must have reached state retirement age or be able to demonstrate in an interview with the municipality that they will need informal care in the future.

Although this project is still in its early stages, the municipalities seem to largely support and develop this type of care and housing situation. This is because more and more municipalities, in addition to building "premium nursing homes", are also allowing house or lot splitting. At least 30 communities are making use of it.

For example, the municipality of Leudal approves only the approach of house or land splitting. "If someone wants a separate premium nursing home, they can do that by splitting the land," Robert Martens , a Leudal municipal councilor, told NOS. So far, 10 applications for permits have already been filed.

The project seems to bring many benefits. This is because the relaxations concerning development plans can help the municipalities to ensure that older citizens can live at home with their families for longer and, in the process, counteract the housing shortage.