Partners can sign Wlz care applications for vulnerable relatives
From 1 January 2027, family members of vulnerable people, often those with dementia, can sign the application for intensive care under the Wet langdurige zorg (Wlz), the long-term care act.
From 1 January 2027, partners and family members can sign an application for intensive care under the Wlz on behalf of a vulnerable relative. The change is needed when someone cannot apply for care themselves because they cannot oversee the consequences, often as a result of dementia, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport says.
Family members of a relative with a disability or psychological vulnerability can use the option too, the ministry says.
At present, arranging the right care for a relative is still very cumbersome for families, the ministry says.
The ministry says research shows the new law considerably reduces the administrative burden for both family members and care workers. It also saves money for care institutions and the Centrum Indicatiestellingen Zorg, the body that assesses care needs, the ministry says.
A win-win. This change prevents waiting for care just when it is needed most. It also saves care workers a lot of time, time they would otherwise have spent on paperwork and can now spend on loving care.Minister Sterk (Long-term Care, Youth and Sport)
The law change is one of the agreements in the Hoofdlijnenakkoord Ouderenzorg (2025-2028), the national agreement on elderly care.
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Wet langdurige zorg (Wlz)
The Long-Term Care Act is the Dutch national insurance law that covers care people need over a long period, such as 24-hour nursing and care in a care home, or intensive care at home, for people who need constant supervision because of illness, disability or dementia. Access requires an indication from the Centrum Indicatiestelling Zorg (CIZ), and the scheme is funded through its own Wlz contribution, separate from the Zorgverzekeringswet that covers regular health care.
Hoofdlijnenakkoord Ouderenzorg
The Main Lines Agreement on Elderly Care is the national agreement on care for older people in the Netherlands, covering 2025 to 2028. It sets out a series of agreed measures to improve elderly care, including changes to the rules that govern it, such as the expansion of who can apply for long-term care on behalf of a relative.