Strengthening home care: Project launched in Bocholt

The town of Bocholt is launching an innovative project to strengthen care provision. With the '"Gemeinsam Pflege"' initiative, the local authority aims to bolster home care and provide significant relief for family carers.

An official meeting with Karl-Josef Laumann, Minister for Labour, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Matthias Mohrmann, Deputy Chairman of the Board of AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, representing the regional associations of long-term care insurance funds in North Rhine-Westphalia and the PKV-Verband e. V., has now marked the official launch of this pioneering project in Düsseldorf.

The Bocholt-based concept, entitled "Gemeinsam Pflege", successfully emerged from the state-wide call for expressions of interest and is one of four selected pilot projects from North Rhine-Westphalia to receive funding for their forward-looking approaches.

The pilot project will run until 31 December 2028 and is funded by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the regional associations of long-term care insurance funds in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Association of Private Health Insurance (Verband der Privaten Krankenversicherung e.V.). The town of Bocholt is contributing 20 per cent of the total costs. Under the leadership of First Councillor Björn Volmering, the concept - from its initial idea to its practical implementation - was developed in collaboration with the town's Senior Citizens' Office and the departments for demography, neighbourhood development and integration. This pooling of resources within the city administration ensures a holistic and community-based approach for Bocholt.

Focus on older residents

At the heart of the project is the aim of enabling older residents to live as long and independent a life as possible in their familiar surroundings. At the same time, the project aims to relieve the burden on family carers, as the majority of people in need of care in Bocholt are looked after at home.

To achieve these objectives, the concept provides for the development of new advisory and support services, as well as the establishment of volunteer care navigators directly within the neighbourhoods. In addition, needs-based information and training programmes are planned for those in need of care and their relatives. Measures to promote mobility and social participation also play a central role in the practical implementation of the scheme.

""As the majority of people in need of care are looked after at home, we must create sustainable structures that provide relief for those affected and their relatives directly within their local communities,"" says Björn Volmering. The project addresses this very issue and fills gaps in the local communities.

Empirica AG is responsible for the scientific monitoring and evaluation of the project. This ensures that the experiences gained and the tried-and-tested structures in Bocholt are systematically analysed.

""The overarching aim is to permanently embed successful approaches within the Bocholt municipal area once the project has come to an end"," says Christian Tewiele, Head of the Pensions, Senior Citizens, Care and Volunteering Division. ""Furthermore, the pilot project serves as a best-practice example, the findings of which will later help other local authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia to further develop their own care infrastructure," adds Tewiele.