Babysitting for a dependent adult at home

In Zoetermeer, help may be available if you do not want to leave someone at home alone. Think of someone who is just present for a while or helps with vigil care. That can provide peace of mind when informal caregiving becomes heavy.

What help is available when someone needs to be present at home?

In Zoetermeer, there are various forms of help when someone cannot be alone at home. Volunteers can be present at home and provide emotional support. Sometimes they sit with your loved one for a few hours or help with vigil care, so that you can rest.

There is also voluntary respite care. Then someone stays with your loved one for a while, while you can do something else. The municipality mentions light respite care in the neighborhood, volunteers who are present at home, day care, and short-term stay.

For daily telephone support, there is also a volunteer phone service. That can be nice if brief contact already helps.

What do volunteers do and not do at home?

Volunteers can provide companionship. They can go for a walk, play a game, or take care of a simple errand. Sometimes they take over agreed-upon light tasks.

They do not perform medical procedures. They do not take over nursing care or medical treatment. They are also not a substitute for professional palliative care.

That makes the help especially suitable as extra support alongside family members or care providers. So when present at home, a volunteer can provide peace of mind, but cannot take over all care.

How do you arrange an introduction and coordination?

Start by clearly discussing what your loved one needs. Also agree on what the volunteer will and will not do. Record who can be reached in case of questions or uncertainty.

For some forms, the route starts with an intake about the care request and your wishes. After that, a volunteer is sought and an introduction follows. The support starts only if the contact feels right for both sides.

For voluntary help, a municipal decision is not always needed. Ask in time what voluntary palliative support is available and how quickly it can be arranged.

What help is available when care is needed at night or continuously?

If care becomes more intensive, there are also options for night and day and night. For care at night, there is night care through district nursing. A nurse then visits or stays on vigil.

If a lot of care is needed for a long time, that can be arranged through the Wlz. Care at home can then be provided in several ways. Sometimes admission to an institution is more appropriate and safer. What is possible depends on the situation and the indication.

When is short-term stay or respite suitable?

Short-term stay may be suitable when your loved one cannot be alone at home and needs constant supervision or care.

What can you do if you also need other help?

Not everything revolves around the care itself. Administration, money worries, loneliness, or tension in relationships can also bring many questions. In Zoetermeer, social work is available for this.

There is also help with home administration. A volunteer can help with mail, an overview of income and expenses, and a workable way to keep records. For practical help at home, there are also cleaning help, grocery help, a handyman service, garden help, and a meal service.

What is the best thing to do now?

First ask what help you need now: presence, rest, night care, or something else. With voluntary support at home and respite care, it often starts with an intake and an introduction. Also ask right away who can be reached and what the volunteer will and will not do.

For night care or round-the-clock care, you can speak with the district nurse or the care office. For short-term stay, first look at the health insurer and then at the municipality. If you feel overburdened, contact Mantelzorg Zoetermeer in time.