Brussels nursing homes face increasingly complex resident needs, including addiction and mental health issues

Brussels nursing homes are grappling with residents whose care needs have become significantly more complex, extending beyond traditional medical requirements to include issues like addiction and mental health problems. This trend emerged from a survey conducted by Iriscare, the organization responsible for healthcare in Brussels, across 66 local nursing homes.

The Iriscare survey revealed that a substantial 38 percent of residents suffer from severe neurocognitive disorders, such as dementia. Additionally, 33 percent experience psychological vulnerabilities, 19 percent live with a disability, and 13 percent face financial dependency. "Today, nursing homes are accommodating residents with very diverse and often complex care and support needs," stated Tania Dekens, Director-General of Iriscare.

Dekens emphasized the need to look beyond conventional medical care to ensure quality services, highlighting that psychological vulnerability, disability, social vulnerability, and combined needs must be better addressed. The organization also noted that 10 percent of beds in Brussels nursing homes are reserved for individuals under 60. "They often do not have the same illnesses or needs as older people and should be cared for in specialized centers," said Zeynep Balci, a spokesperson for Iriscare.

Balci suggested that individuals with psychological problems, for example, should be housed in psychiatric nursing homes. Once recovered, they could then transition to a standard Brussels nursing home. Iriscare observed that these more complex profiles are unevenly distributed among the city's facilities, prompting a broader reflection on care organization. Dekens concluded that enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to better support nursing homes and prepare the sector for the evolving care demands of the future.

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Vandaag vangen woonzorgcentra bewoners op met zeer uiteenlopende en vaak complexe zorg- en ondersteuningsnoden. Om kwaliteitsvolle zorg te blijven bieden, moeten we verder kijken dan de klassieke medische zorg. Ook psychische kwetsbaarheid, handicap, sociale kwetsbaarheid en gecombineerde noden moeten beter in beeld worden gebracht.