story

The Buurtzorg model puts the client at the centre of an ‘onion’, and works outwards to assemble solutions that bring independence and improved quality of life. Based on universal values it recognises that people want:

• control over their own lives for as long as possible
• to maintain or improve their own quality of life
• social interaction
• warm relationships with others

and that to provide this greatly reduces their formal medical and care needs.

In the first instance, the support is provided by family and committed local volunteers. When professional care is needed, it is provided not by carers but by qualified nurses who are trained to consider the living environment and level of support and to provide early intervention. The nursing teams are local and self-managed, giving them the freedom to find appropriate solutions that involve the client, their social networks and the local community. Building these strong local networks have had dramatic results, with very high levels of staff satisfaction and big reductions in admissions to hospital.

Buurtzorg grew from 1 to 850 teams in just 10 years, also expanding from care for the elderly into other areas such as mental health and children and families. Collaboration is key to Buurtzorg’s operating model, and as they discover new ways of working (such as the web-based software platform built specifically to support the Buurtzorg way of working) a global learning network is forming around Buurtzorg, enabling them to share experience and knowledge all over the world.

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