Master students visit nursing home Oudshoorn

On 9 February, the MSc students Vitality and Ageing visited nursing home Oudshoorn in Alphen aan de Rijn. At the end of 2013, Oudshoorn transformed from a traditional nursing home to a small-scale home that can be best compared to a small village: central is the village square with a hair salon, supermarket, the Uitbureau (a kind of tourist office) and a grand café. The square is surrounded by various ‘streets ‘ with a total of 22 houses, each housing eight residents and their permanent caregivers. These houses run their own household: they shop for groceries, prepare dinner in the open kitchen, wash and iron the clothes. Around the living room, each resident has a private bedroom.

The basic idea of nursing home Oudshoorn is that the 176 residents with dementia and psychiatric problems are above all people. People with their own unique life stories, desires and needs for social interaction. Everything is furnished to accommodate this as much as possible. The homely environment ensures that residents remain involved in daily life for as long as possible and makes it easier for staff to really get to know the residents.

For the master students, this visit provided an interesting introduction to a progressive nursing home. For more information, visit the website of nursing home Oudshoorn.