Humanitas Deventer, promoting intergenerational housing

Humanitas Deventer is an independent residential care center in Deventer, Netherlands, offering a homely and safe environment  for seniors, needing support for housing and care. The warm social climate of the residence is shared with youngsters that benefit from the space to develop their skills. 

Society faces the big challenge of ageing. The part of elderly people in society  is growing and the health care systems are not sufficiently equipped to manage this. So the necessity to find new ways to function and new solutions was clear. Through experimentations and learnings, a new vision emerged of how could be created a more inclusive community for the benefit of older people but not only. Humanitas Deventer emerged as a result.

Humanitas is a home for elderly in need of nursing, housing or care. The main goal is to celebrate humanity in all its diversity by building new and meaningful connections between young and old people. 

The center offer different types of services, from short to long term stay with all the necessary medical and psychosocial care. The offer also extends to sheltered housing for people who wish to continue living independently but with additional security. 

In addition to a healthy and friendly environment, the added value of Humanitas Deventer is that it welcomes young students who live with the elderly. They commit themselves to spending several hours a day with their senior neighbours to build rich relationships that serve the well-being of all.

The presence of young people is also encouraged by the large number of internships, holiday jobs and volunteer work designed to keep the place alive and a strong level of intergenerational links. 

Residents of the home report feeling happier. They complain less. They laugh more and feel more engaged. They are proud to be part of the Humanitas Deventer community. Humanitas Deventer’s staff also smiles more, and feels strongly motivated at work. 

The structure perform better financially than our peers and the national average. In addition, one program they implemented – in which those with a mild mental disability can live more independently – saves the state tens of thousands of euros per year by reducing dependency on state-run programs. 

However, the social impact is far more important than the financial benefits. With each new experiment, more members of the larger Deventer community are given the opportunity to both contribute to and benefit from the Living Lab. And each person strengthens the bonds and connections that Humanitas Deventer makes possible.