The key to being allowed to place an informal care home is the demonstrable care relationship. Without official proof of the necessity for informal care, the placement of a (permit-free) informal care home is not permitted. After all, the dwelling is an exception to the regular building regulations and is directly linked to the need for care.
Proof of care needs
The municipality must receive a document showing the nature and extent of the required informal care. This concerns help that falls outside of regular professional care and is provided or received by one of the residents.
The medical statement
The most commonly used piece of evidence is a medical statement.
- Who prepares this? This can be a GP, a district nurse, or another independent medical advisor.
- What does it contain? The statement must describe the nature and extent of the required informal care.
- What is excluded? The statement may not contain privacy-sensitive health information.
Independent Assessment
The municipality may request a statement from an independent physician if they have doubts about the objectivity or completeness of the provided statement.
CIZ indication and social district teams
In addition to or instead of the doctor’s statement, some municipalities require proof from an independent assessment body.
- Centrum Indicatiestelling Zorg (CIZ): An indication for care under the Long-term Care Act (Wlz) always counts as official proof of care needs.
- Wmo indication: An indication for guidance, aids, or home adjustment under the Social Support Act (Wmo) may also suffice as proof in some municipalities.
- Social district teams: Social district teams are playing an increasingly important role. They can assess the care situation and issue a statement supporting the necessity of the informal care home.
Checking municipal requirements
The specific requirements for the statement vary by municipality.
- Differences: One municipality may accept a statement from the district nurse, while another explicitly requires a CIZ indication or a statement from an independent body.
- Temporality: The statement confirms the necessity at that moment. The municipality may periodically check whether the need for informal care is still present. As soon as the informal care stops, you must report this.
Always check your municipality’s website first or contact the Wmo or Building and Housing Supervision department for the most current and local requirements.