Professor Bianca Buurman advocates in NRC for the neighborhood clinic as a solution for 'revolving door seniors.' As a former nurse, Buurman has seen that many seniors, after being discharged from an acute hospital stay, often experience a relapse and end up back in the ER. In the neighborhood clinic, seniors can receive both hospital and rehabilitation care after an ER visit, enabling them to return home in better health and prevent further ER visits.
Each year, 800,000 seniors over the age of seventy end up in the ER due to falls, infections, or breathing difficulties. Upon discharge, they are often still very vulnerable, and once home, their condition can worsen, leading to hospital readmission. Buurman points out that these seniors are caught in a revolving door.
Buurman argues that we need to move towards a holistic model. General practitioners, doctors, district nurses, and nurses now work in separate spheres. When you look at the whole picture, you can understand the well-being of seniors in its full context. By collaborating, you can address the complete situation and take seniors' care needs more seriously. The neighborhood clinic facilitates this holistic approach: here, geriatricians, nurses, the general practitioner, and caregivers together assess what hospital and rehabilitation care is needed after a hospital stay.
Read the full article from NRC (via Nexis Newdesk on Amsterdam UMC, in Dutch)