A nursing home in De Steeg, Gelderland, described as a ‘horror,’ has been shut down by the government after an investigation laid bare years of neglect and abuse.
The care home known as Derman Woonzorg came under investigation after an exposé by AD showed extreme cause for concern.
The Dutch Arbeidsinspectie (Labour Inspectorate) and the Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd (Health and Youth Care Inspectorate) found that residents have been subjected to an array of misconduct.
The residents, many of whom have dementia, will be transferred to new facilities by the end of April.
Mouse droppings and fake nurses
When the AD team first broke the story, their descriptions shocked the public.
Kitchens full of mouse droppings and expired products, unauthorised staff giving medication, broken elevators, drunken and negligent staff: the list was endless.
One staff member told AD that residents were fed instant noodles daily.
Beds were rented out to the public to bring in extra cash. That means, residents were, at times, sharing their care-home space with homeless people.
Staff are also regularly mistreated, and the management has even been accused of sexual misconduct with female lower-level staff.
Adding insult to injury, payslips were also repeatedly delayed, and Derman still owes substantial sums to some former employees. Certain employees were also working at the care home illegally, under the guise of volunteerism.
How could this go on so long?
According to former employees, staff were told to clean up and put things in order whenever an inspection was planned.
Staff members were often in a difficult position. Like the patients, most were of Turkish descent and needed employment in the Netherlands.
AD found that management rewarded those who were ‘loyal,’ and that work contracts even included a confidentiality clause.
This likely impeded inspectors from getting access to the full picture, despite a history of reports.
What is this place?
Derman Woonzorg opened in 2020 as part of the wider Derman Zorg organisation, founded by Mustafa Demirci.
It was primarily oriented towards care for Turkish-Dutch people, as ‘culturally sensitive home-care,’ reports AD. Derman also has locations in Soest and Arnhem.
Now that the patients are leaving, the future of Rhederpark is uncertain.
Minister of Long-Term Care Mirjam Sterk called the closure “far-reaching for the residents and their loved ones,” AD reports.
The closure is certainly a step in the right direction, but for the residents who endured these conditions, it comes far too late.
Do you think the Netherlands does enough to protect vulnerable people in care? Let us know in the comments.
