Innovative caring model
Buurt is「neighbour」，zorg is「 care」，Buurtzorg is a community-based model with a strong focus on neighbourhood care.
Buurtzorg model
Buurtzorg is a pioneering healthcare organization established in 2007 with a nurse-led model of holistic care that revolutionised community care in the Netherlands. Buurtzorg has the highest client satisfaction rates of any health care organizations in the Netherlands. Buurtzorg Nederlands currently has over 10,000 employees, with about 1000 self-managed teams. Buurtzorg is now active in about 30 countries and has a small international team to support its international work.
Buurtzorg is a nurse-led model of holistic care, emphasizing patient-centred care, strengthening self-management, and building networks in the neighbourhood. With the use of information technology and community-based care systems, Buurtzorg provides professional and comprehensive care for clients in their homes to help enhance their rehabilitation progress and reduce unnecessary hospital admission and re-admission.
Buurtzorg advocates the use of self-managing teams. A team of 12 works in the district handling every aspect of care and business, from client asssessment to staff recruitment. The team decide how they organise their work, share responsibilities, and make decisions. Team members support each other and are able to cover patient care for each other. During team meetings, team members share information, knowledge and advice, and create appropriate care plans for each individual client, which enables the team to better handle a variety of situations.
"First coffee, then care" is Buurtzorg's philosophy of care. When a Buurtzorg nurse visits a new client, she or he will typically sit down with the person to talk about their history, strengths, and interests , as well as their life goals. This comprehensive approach helps the nurse to get to know the patient and appreciate their history with a personal and invidualised approach. The Buurtzorg nurses develop close relationships with their clients, and can tap into family or community networks to improve the quality of clients' lives.
Buurtzorg's services are focused on neighborhood communities. Team offices are located in the same community, and given that most team members are also living in the community, they are able to make the best use of community resources. As team members live reasonably close to their clients, the team is able to minimize the amount of travel time and provide services to the elderly quicker and in less time.
Onion Model
The Buurtzorg onion model starts from the client's perspective and works outwards to assemble solutions that bring independence and improved quality of life. From the inside to the outside, the different layers include 1.Self-managing client 2.Informal networks 3.Buurtzorg team 4.Formal networks
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Self-managing client: The team help the elderly find the motivation to make changes, and encourage the elderly to take an active role in "self-management interventions".
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Informal networks: the people around the elderly client, for instance: their children, neighbours, and volunteers. These people can keep an eye out for the elderly and look for any health risks when the Buurtzorg team is not there to provide services.
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Buurtzorg team: The nurse team provides case management and finds community resources, such as neightbours and volunteers, to provide support for the clients.
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Formal networks: Doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians provide professional resources and timely referrals to the elderly.