On Thursday, November 13, CZ and the Municipality of Eindhoven are launching action research for people with lifelong and broad support needs. The focus is on dignified access to support and care, centered on the question: what is needed to live life the way you want? They are committed to a good life for these people, with fitting and easily accessible support and care.
The municipality and CZ believe it is important that people have access to support and care that is dignified. Rina Arendse has been advocating for this for years. She has lived a bedridden life for 45 years and depends daily on multiple caregivers. Yet every year Rina must prove again that she needs help, repeatedly filling out forms and undergoing assessments.
Rina: There is an extreme focus on details and a compelling focus on control. I am a care product that is constantly assessed for usability and durability. Devoid of any form of humanity. This was the reason to start the Mission Person with a Name in 2020; I asked for this to be put into practice.
The current system causes stress, uncertainty, and energy loss. Institutions work alongside each other, resulting in fragmented offerings and people not receiving what they need. Rina has gathered a group of co-thinkers who support her Mission Person with a Name. Together with CZ and the Municipality of Eindhoven, they are investigating how things can be different.
We want to offer solutions that fit someones life, emphasizes chairman Joep de Groot of CZ. Together with Eindhoven, we want to ensure that people are supported in what is important to them, instead of focusing on why something cannot be done.
In the action research, ten participants share their experiences and each receive one fixed contact person. This person looks together with them at their total support needs. What is needed to live life the way you want? And how can this be arranged for a longer period with less hassle? The contact person puts together the puzzle with all involved parties and seeks solutions that fit the participants life, even if they do not fit within the system.
Alderman Samir Toub (Care and Social Support): As a municipality, we want residents not to get lost in rules or forms. People must feel heard and helped. By making support and care simpler, we give people peace and certainty so they can focus their energy on what gives their life meaning.
