Informal care support (Wmo)

When are you a caregiver?

Are you caring for a loved one who is chronically ill, has a disability or mental health issues, or is in need of help? Then you are a caregiver. Even if this care feels obvious. For example, if you are caring for your child with a disability.

You care for your loved one because you have a special bond. Often you don't have a choice, you are simply needed and are not paid for it. It starts with occasionally doing an errand or going to the doctor Until you suddenly care for that person almost daily. For example, you also give medication, help with showering or you do the administration. 

As a caregiver, you often have a lot to deal with. Caring for someone is rewarding, but it can also be a burden. Finding a good balance between caregiving tasks and, for example, work, family and free time is therefore very important.
To prevent the caregiving from becoming too heavy and you from becoming unbalanced, inZet can support you in your caregiving tasks. As a caregiver, you can go there for information and advice, caregiver support and support for the person you care for. Together we will look at what support you need exactly. Look at the website of inZet for more information.

Caregiver registration and caregiver appreciation

The municipality of Zoetermeer is grateful for informal caregivers. As a token of appreciation, it makes an informal care appreciation available each year for intensively caring informal caregivers in the form of a financial contribution of €200.
To do this, it is necessary that you register as a caregiver on the Mantelzorgcentraal website and does so every year. Young carers (under 18) can register for a gift voucher. 

Registering and applying for the informal care appreciation can be done every year from 1 April to 10 November. For all conditions and how to register, visit the Mantelzorgcentraal website .

Informal care center

This is the regional knowledge centre in the field of informal care and takes care of the informal care registration and application for the informal care appreciation on behalf of the municipality. 

Registered caregivers receive regular newsletters and the MantelKracht magazine twice a year. In this way, they are kept informed of the various support options, experience stories and new initiatives. 

In addition, a festive gathering is organized for registered caregivers on behalf of the municipality every year on the national Day of the Caregiver. There is also a fun activity for young caregivers to participate in every year.

More information can be found on the Mantelzorgcentraal website .

Need help applying for the informal care allowance? 

Come to the informal care consultation hour on Thursday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at inZet, drop-in location Noordhove & Seghwaert at Petuniatuin 7A. 

For more information, visit the InZet website | Caregiver Support .

Include informal care support

A large part of the support for informal caregivers is invested in inZet. Informal caregivers who care for family or friends for a long period of time can receive support and advice from informal care coordinators.

inZet also offers various forms of support such as guidance and day care to vulnerable residents. In this way, informal caregivers are relieved of their care tasks (we call this 'respite care'). Within this guidance, attention is also paid to informal caregivers. More information about informal caregiver support can be found on the website of inZet | Informal Care Support .

Caregiver café and neighborhood meetings

In addition, inZet also organizes the informal care café and neighborhood meetings. During the informal care café, informal caregivers can share experiences, gather information and focus on social-emotional themes in the presence of an informal care coordinator. Neighborhood meetings are mainly about meeting other informal caregivers (peer contact) where informal caregivers are given the opportunity to share stories and ask for advice from other informal caregivers. 

For a personal conversation or an overview of the group offer for informal caregivers, see: inZet | Informal Care Support .

Respite and Respite Care

Respite care is a temporary, full or partial takeover of care tasks, with the aim of giving the informal caregiver a break. By occasionally being free from care tasks, informal caregivers can better balance their own lives and continue to care for their loved one for longer.

For more information, watch the video from Mantelzorg.NL 'What is respite care' .

There are different forms of respite care:

Respite care 'light'

This often involves an activity for the loved one, in which the caregiver can choose whether or not to participate, such as group walking, getting used to day care or going on holiday together. 

Examples:

For example / Featured:

Unforgettable cooking club Zoetermeer

The Unforgettable Cooking Club Zoetermeer is an initiative of Alzheimer Nederland The Hague region and Resto Van Harte and is supported by the municipality of Zoetermeer. The Unforgettable Cooking Club is an activity where people with dementia and their caregivers get to work themselves, with a professional chef and volunteers, to prepare a 3-course dinner and then eat together. Fun, a pleasant evening out and meeting fellow sufferers are central.

Respite care through presence care

Through volunteers

A volunteer can stay at the home of the neighbor so that the caregiver can do something for themselves. These can be volunteers from Thuismaatje , Caregiver buddy , Volunteer at Home , the Sunflower or Friends Service from Reakt .

Through home care organizations

Based on an indication via the Wmo or the Health Insurance Act, presence care can be requested. If you want to know more, please contact a Wmo consultant. For more information, see Help and support (Wmo) .

For example / Featured:

Caregiver buddy via the MEE Foundation

Stichting MEE is conducting a pilot from 2023-2025 for the development of a new voluntary service, namely the Mantelzorgermaatje and is subsidized by the municipality of Zoetermeer. It is a buddy project where (volunteer) buddies are paired with informal caregivers. These buddies offer a listening ear and are a confidant for the informal caregiver with knowledge of matters concerning informal care support.

Respite care through day care

For adults and children with a need for help or care: the relative can go to a location where he or she does a suitable activity one or more days a week. Think of a community centre, neighbourhood centre or day care at a care farm. The informal carer then has the whole day to themselves. For adults, this can be, depending on the need for help, for example at the day care centre De Buurvrouw or 't Vonkje, Carpe Diem or Buytenthuis, Tuingezel, Activisie, Cjoe and activity centre De Spil. 

More information can be found on the Zoetermeerwijzer websites or Respite Care Overview on Mantelzorg Centraal .

For children with a disability, this can be done, for example, at day care. For more information, see the website Zoetermeerwijzer | Day care for children with a disability .

For example / Featured:

The Neighbor Annie and the Neighbor Gonnie

The low-threshold and preventive day care centre De Buurvrouw has recently been added to inZet's services. This serves, among other things, as informal care support.

More information: inZet | The Neighbor .

Respite care through short-term stay or overnight care

Short-term stay in an institution is for people who are cared for at home by a caregiver and cannot be home alone. The person needs 24-hour supervision and/or care. With short-term stay, someone stays in an institution for a maximum of 72 hours per week, which relieves the caregiver for a while.

More information: Short-term stay in an institution (Wmo) .

Depending on the care needs, adults can stay at the Zorgpension Zoetermeer or in the Buurtzorgzorgpension , a care farm or care hotel . Depending on the care requirement, there is also overnight care for children and young people. For more information, please visit Zoetermeerwijzer | Overnight care for children and young people You can also contact Meerpunt .

Who will help?

For free advice on arranging respite care, you can contact the informal care support coordinators of inZet and the independent client support staff of Zorgbelang For the partially reimbursed takeover of administrative matters concerning respite care, please consult the informal care brokers in the region via the Professional Association of Informal Care Brokers .

More information: Central government | Regelhulp.nl .

Wmo provisions for informal caregivers

The municipality offers various facilities that clients and informal carers may be entitled to. These include a parking permit for informal carers, a pass for the Regional Taxi (for supervisors) and other Wmo customised facilities, such as domestic help, short-term accommodation or overnight care as respite care.

Whether you are entitled to a Wmo custom provision varies per situation. If you would like to know more, please contact a Wmo consultant. For more information, see Help and support (Wmo) .

Carer parking permit

Are you a caregiver and does the person you care for live in a paid parking area or blue zone area in Zoetermeer? Then you can apply for a carer parking permit. More information and the application form can be found on the Mantelzorgcentraal | Parking website .

Mantel care home

A care home is an independent home on your own property and is intended for the person you care for. You can also live in the care home yourself. The person you care for then lives in the associated house.

More information: Care home .

Independent client support

The client support workers work at the Zorgbelang Advice Point and not with the municipality or a healthcare provider. The client support workers listen, think along with you and advise. They have a duty of confidentiality. The help is free. Young people can also contact the client support workers.

What is Independent Client Support?

Client support is independent information, advice and support for residents. Client support workers can mediate in complaints and problems with providers and indicators. They work independently of providers and indicators.

Residents of all ages can request free client support at any time in various areas, such as education, (youth) care, work, income, housing and welfare. 

For more information, visit the website of Adviespunt Zorgbelang.