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Participants in AWOZ include senior citizen (care) organisations, hospitals, knowledge institutes, the GGD and the province. They are working together on the themes: staying healthy, care at home, care technology and work and education. AWOZ brings together the practice, research and policy for the development, exchange and implementation of knowledge. Senior citizens work with it and suggest ideas. AWOZ carries out practice-guided research projects in a joint research programme; care innovations that are proven to be effective and efficient are distributed and implemented; an exchange of knowledge takes place in every phase of research and implementation, including through training (refresher courses) and seminars.

Robbert Huijsman, professor Management & Organisation of Long-term Care at ESHPM, is one of the initiators of AWOZ and also chair. “Zeeland’s population is greying and losing young people faster than the rest of the Netherlands,” he explained. “All relevant parties have joined forces in AWOZ to arrive at sustainable long-term care for the elderly through joint improvement and innovation, in close collaboration with the target group itself. Knowledge to put into practice, for and with the elderly! Great collaboration, including with several ESHPM colleagues,” said Huijsman.

Now, after five years of putting it together and pilot testing, twelve parties have joined. At the beginning of February, the Cooperation Agreement for AWOZ was officially signed.

A doctoral research project starts soon based at AWOZ and ESHPM on the topic of ‘Loneliness in nursing home settings’ with as supervisor Prof. Robbert Huijsman and co-supervisor Dr Gerda Andringa (co-initiator of AWOZ and lecturer in geriatric care at HZ University of Applied Sciences and University College Roosevelt).