Care close to home

Applying for care is often a maze. SAB wants social care and support to be available right in the neighbourhood, close to home. With one clear desk and help for anyone who gets stuck.

What is going on

Anyone in Maastricht who needs help in the home, a stairlift, a mobility scooter or day care applies through the Wmo, the Social Support Act. The application starts with a notification to the city, followed by an assessment and a conversation, usually at home. After the notification the city has six weeks for the assessment; after the formal application it has two weeks to decide.

On paper that is clear. In practice many residents give up: the difference between a notification and an application is unclear, the written report of the conversation is not always correct, and almost nobody knows that free independent client support is a right. SAB’s help desk sees these applications every week.

What SAB wants

• One clear desk per neighbourhood, with a person at the counter instead of a maze of forms.
• The legal deadlines met: six weeks for the assessment, two weeks for the decision, and an explanation if not.
• Free client support actively offered with every notification, not only when someone asks for it.
• Care and day services as close to home as possible, so older people and people with a disability keep taking part in their own neighbourhood.

What you can do now

You notify the city of Maastricht on 14 043, by email to wmo@maastricht.nl or through the Social Team of your neighbourhood. If you get stuck, SAB’s help desk helps free of charge with the notification, the conversation and checking the report. The guide on applying for social care support explains the procedure step by step.