Protected living in North Holland's Andijk

Living like at home, with adequate care and in a protected environment. That is the concept of the new Sorghvliet in Andijk. The residents recently moved into the 32 brand-new care apartments of this residential care center.

The move to the new Sorghvliet location was a crossing in a literal sense. The 32 brand-new apartments of the residential care complex in Andijk are located directly opposite the "old" Sorghvliet. The new building was constructed because the nearly 30-year-old building no longer met today's demands for care. The move means that instead of a one-room apartment, residents now have a two-room apartment at their disposal that is also more spacious. For the time being, the old Sorghvliet will continue to serve as accommodation for residents of other residential care centers who are waiting for a new home.

All residents of the new Sorghvliet are subject to a care package of at least level five, which means that most are dealing with dementia. A fact that entails certain requirements for the new housing. Care organization Omring, the tenant, was closely involved in shaping the concept. "Omring developed a new care policy in 2015. One of the focal points in it was that people like the Sorghvliet residents live according to the concept of Protected Living. They need care and protection, but at the same time should be able to live as independently as possible. People are increasingly individualistic and that manifests itself in a greater need for independent living," said Omrings project leader Loraine Besseling. "The idea is also that they live as much as possible as they did at home," adds colleague and site manager Sjon Kuipers.

In practice, one way this takes shape is by making each care unit a home as much as possible. Upon arrival outside the building, therefore, the visitor will not find a reception desk, but a panel with bells of all the homes. Just like a 'normal' apartment complex, in other words. The homes themselves also have a front door and a bell and are only accessible to people with a key. The apartments have a living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. There are also four neighborhood rooms in the complex. "With the emphasis on búrtkamers, they are not living rooms. The residents already have those in their homes. They have to be places where they can meet others," Kuipers says.

These are some of the facilities that care organization Omring considered important for the new location. In the process toward realization, which began in 2016, the care provider partnered with housing foundation Het Grootslag. "Initially they explored the possibility of converting the old Sorghvliet, but that was not an option after all. After the choice fell on new construction, Omring was leading in what the new Sorghvliet should look like. For the realization, Het Grootslag and Omring entered into a cooperation agreement. Now that the building has been completed, we are landlord and tenant," says Hans Kröger, director of Het Grootslag. 

For the construction of the new Sorghvliet, contracting company Wit Wognum was in charge. Despite the corona pandemic, the work went ahead and was delivered on schedule in July of this year, before the construction period. In the new Sorghvliet, the apartments are on two floors. The building itself is built in a U-shape. The latter has not only an aesthetic function, it turns out. "Thanks to the U-shape, the courtyard garden between them has a somewhat private character. This allows residents to go outside and still be protected," says Maurice Kuin, project manager at Wit Wognum. The two wings of the U are angled slightly outward, according to Besseling, in order to give the building an open character and connect with the outside world. 

The construction took into account requirements for care real estate in general and the target group in particular. One feature is the spacious layout of the apartments and common areas. For example, there is sufficient space for care workers to maneuver aids such as patient elevators. Also, the entire complex is equipped with wide passages with an eye to transporting beds. "In construction, apart from the wide design and passageways, we also took into account the absence of thresholds. Considering the use of walkers and wheelchairs by residents, the entire building must be barrier-free. Furthermore, we had to deal with the installation of daylight lamps, which mimic the rhythm of the day. The same goes for home automation. Omring wanted certain care home automation applications in Sorghvliet, so that was also a concern given the wiring and connection points," Kuin says.

Care home automation at Sorghvliet is designed to enhance the comfort and safety of residents and support the work of care workers. Each apartment has an image sensor. These can be deployed in consultation with the resident's family to give the resident more freedom while still taking safety into account. Using alarm technology, the care worker can receive a signal if someone is in danger of falling out of bed or perhaps staying away from the toilet too long during the night. 

"Technology is becoming increasingly important, especially as people continue to live at home longer and longer and they already require more demanding care when they arrive at an assisted living facility. Apart from home automation, of course, the design of rooms is also tailored to the needs of the residents. For example, you won't find carpeting anywhere here because of the risk of falling. The faucets in the kitchens have longer handles and there are recesses under the sinks for possible wheelchair or walker use. There are also color distinctions to clarify things, such as the black of the toilet seat on a white toilet bowl. In the hallways and community rooms, light shades of color have been chosen for a peaceful look," Kuipers lists. 

A building that meets today's requirements cannot be built without energy-conscious solutions. The new Sorghvliet
is at least better insulated than the old one and is equipped with 306 solar panels on the roof, according to Kuin. It also features a heat pump for underfloor heating and cooling. 

Meanwhile, not only did the residents themselves explore their surroundings, but interested parties from other housing associations and healthcare organizations also took a look at the site. "We have therefore realized a beautiful and sustainable building," Kuin concludes.