Drechterland alderman calls for community-driven approach to youth and elderly care challenges
Alderperson Sjon Wagenaar highlights growing pressures on youth and elderly care in Drechterland, urging a shift toward community support and early intervention. Residents face rising costs and limited resources, but collaboration could ease the strain on formal care systems.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Alderman | Sjon Wagenaar (Drechterland) |
| Focus Areas | Youth care, elderly care |
| Challenges | Rising demand, budget constraints, workforce shortages |
| Causes for Youth Care Demand | Social media, performance pressure, climate/housing worries, early alarms |
| Elderly Care Solutions | Active aging, smart tech, volunteer/family support |
| Municipal Role | Reducing unnecessary referrals, early problem detection |
| Province | Noord-Holland |
Municipalities like Drechterland are responsible for implementing national care policies at the local level, including youth and elderly care. They manage budgets, coordinate services, and work with schools, healthcare providers, and community groups to address residents' needs.
Pure gold (or black) ☕
Your support is worth gold. But honestly, black coffee makes us very happy too.
Read the full translated article below
Column | Care for the young and the old
In his second column, alderman Sjon Wagenaar reflects on a topic that affects many residents: care for both young people and the elderly. In the column, he shares his thoughts on the challenges, but also on the opportunities to look at care differently together.
“In the town hall, we often talk about care. About young people who need help and about elderly people who ask for support.
Care for young people is often in the news. It is then said that more and more young people need help and that this costs a lot of money. A few years ago, municipalities were given this task by the national government. At the same time, the budget was reduced, because it was thought that municipalities are closer to residents and can therefore work more efficiently.
I understand that thought. But in practice, we see that many young people need support. In Drechterland, it is still manageable compared to other municipalities, but even here the costs are high. And we do not always get enough money back for it.
What touches me especially is the question: how are our young people really doing? Why do so many of them need help?
Various causes are mentioned. Think of social media, the pressure to perform, worries about climate and housing, or upbringing where children are very protected. Problems are also recognized more quickly than before. Schools, general practitioners and parents raise the alarm earlier when things are not going well. That is positive, because it means that young people get help faster. At the same time, we must be careful that normal uncertainties or setbacks are not immediately seen as a care problem. That remains finding a good balance.
As a municipality, we cannot solve everything. But we can look at unnecessary referrals and work together with schools and associations to signal problems early. The most important thing remains: young people who need help must also get it.
There are also challenges in elderly care. Due to aging, there are simply more elderly people, while there are fewer care workers. This puts pressure on the system.
Fortunately, many elderly people remain active and independent for longer. New housing forms, smart technology and help from family, neighbors and volunteers can help with this. This does require us all to look at care differently. Not everything has to go through a professional, sometimes people, with the help of their environment, can do more than they think.
Care often makes the news because of the costs or the concerns. But behind those figures are mainly people. Young and old. For me, it ultimately comes down to this: that we build a society in which everyone gets support when needed.”