Dutch home care: towards a new organization?

As in all western countries the demand for home care in the Netherlands is rapidly growing. Reduced institutionalization in hospitals and nursing homes, combined with an increasing number of elderly people, have led to new groups of patients, with complex and diverse problems, to be cared for in their home settings. To meet this new demand, it is argued, comprehensive home care arrangements are needed. Development of such arrangements was the target of 12 demonstration projects that were part of the 'National Home Health Care Programme'. This article presents the results of an evaluation study of the Programme, with special attention to factors favouring the development of comprehensive home care arrangements and its effectiveness.