How to choose home care or a nursing home in Amsterdam
Start by working out which system applies to you. Care delivered through your basic health insurance (thuiszorg for nursing and personal care) requires a wijkverpleegkundige, a community nurse, to assess the situation and issue an indication before anything begins.
Private home care skips that assessment and lets you set the hours yourself, from a few hours a week to overnight or round-the-clock support, which is why some families use it while waiting for a public place to open up. A move into a nursing home goes through a different gate: the Centrum Indicatiestelling Zorg (CIZ) assesses eligibility under the Wet langdurige zorg (Wlz), reserved for people who need supervision close by around the clock.
Dutch elderly care is built around keeping people independent at home for as long as it is safe, so ask any provider how their plan supports that rather than defaults to a facility; our guide to Amsterdam Gyms & Fitness lists options if staying mobile is part of the plan. Ask, too, whether English-speaking staff are available, and whether the organization is registered with the Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd (IGJ), the body that inspects care quality. This directory lists home care and nursing home providers in and around Amsterdam; it does not vet, rank, or endorse them, so these questions are ones to put to each provider directly.
Questions people ask
What is thuiszorg?
Thuiszorg is the Dutch term for home care: professional nursing or personal support delivered in your own home rather than in a facility. It covers everything from short-term nursing after a hospital stay to ongoing help with daily tasks for someone aging in place or living with a condition like dementia or Parkinson's.
Do I need an assessment before home care can start?
For care reimbursed through your basic health insurance, yes: a community nurse has to assess your needs and issue an indication first. Private home care does not require this step, which is one reason families turn to it when they need support quickly or want more hours than the nurse's assessment allows.
Will my health insurance cover the cost?
Home nursing and personal care that fall under the Zorgverzekeringszet (Health Insurance Act) are covered once a community nurse has issued an indication for them. Private home care, and any care beyond what that indication covers, is not reimbursed and is arranged and paid for separately.
What is the difference between publicly funded and private home care?
Publicly funded thuiszorg runs through your basic health insurance and is shaped by the community nurse's assessment, so the hours and type of care you receive follow from that indication. Private home care is arranged directly with a provider, has no waiting list in the way public placements can, and lets you choose the number of hours yourself.
How do nursing home waiting lists work in Amsterdam?
A nursing home place is assessed by the CIZ under the Wlz and is reserved for people who need continuous supervision nearby. Waiting lists for a place in the public system are common, which is why some families use private home care to bridge the gap; ask each organization directly about current waiting times, since these change.
Can I find English-speaking home care in Amsterdam?
Not every home care or nursing home organization in the city has English-speaking staff on hand, so it is worth confirming before you sign up. Contact the provider directly, describe the care that is needed, and ask whether staff can communicate in English, particularly if the person receiving care is not comfortable in Dutch.
What if I am arranging care for both an aging parent and young children?
It is a common position for expat and Dutch households alike, and the two systems are separate: home care runs through the Zvw or Wlz depending on need, while childcare has its own registration and subsidy rules. Our guide to Amsterdam Daycare & Childcare covers the childcare side, and if a home care plan later moves into end-of-life arrangements, our list of Amsterdam Funeral Homes is there when it is needed.