Goals: describe the main goals of the good practice

Prevention of overburdening and poor wellbeing among home carers.

Target Group: which group(s) does the good practice aim at?

Home carers of persons who are already involved with health care, home care or eldercare due to special needs caused by a (chronical) illness, disorder or handicap. 

Home carers voluntarily, unpaid and informally care for another person with special needs from their (extended) family or social network.

Approach: how is this good practice implemented?

Most distinctive about the method Preventieve Ondersteuning Mantelzorg (POM, preventive support home care) is that the home carer is located through the (new) clients of regular health care services, professional home care or eldercare. The care institution reaches out to the home carer. This is an important aspect as home carers often find it hard to ask for help for themselves.

After the first telephone contact the POM-interview (mostly a one off event), is conducted at the home carer's house or an alternative location. The professional will use motivational interviewing to gain a clear insight in the experienced burden and possible squalors of the home carer. The home carer is offered the Home Care Guide with a listing of the various types of support for home carers.  

Dependent on the home carer's situation a follow up telephone call will take place between two weeks and two months after the POM interview, to evaluate any possible reaction to the interview of the home carer. The home carer is also invited to use this follow up to discuss any clarities about the interview, or express possible needs or wishes.

Which parties are implementing this good practice? If relevant, name the executing organizations or persons.

The Trimbos Instituut offers a train-the-trainer programme for prevention workers, health officers, home care support consulents and policy makers in first line care, eldercare, (mental) health care and professional home care.

Initially developed and executed by InterZorg Ouderen and Mediant GGZ  (Enschede).

What material is available on this good practice (description, website etc.)

The work box Preventieve Ondersteuning Mantelzorgers: Methodiek voor systematische opsporing en preventieve ondersteuning van mantelzorgers (in Dutch), written by Duzijn & Veldhuijs, published by Trimbos instituut, 2006.

An intervention description is published on www.loketgezondleven.nl/kwaliteit-van-interventies/beoordelingof the RIVM.

How widely is this good practice used in your country?

The method is available in the whole of the Netherlands, the train-de-trainer is  facilitated by a national institute. 

What are the results, outcomes, experiences with this good practice? Please mention the source(s).

No data available

Are there effect studies? Please mention the source(s) if the answer is ‘yes’.

No data available

What are the success factors?

• The home carer is detected through (new) clients of general health care, professional home care or eldercare.
• The care organization initializes the contact with the home carer.
• The used technique is motivational interviewing
• Former experiences of stress and problems of the home carer are listed (focus is on the home carer).
• The home carer is elaborately informed on available support for home carers and receives the Home Carer's Guide (oral and written information).