New construction of residential care complex De Vijverhof

The Vijverhof has been a household name in Capelle aan den IJssel for more than forty years. The residential care centre is located in the centre of the municipality, next to the main shopping centre and other facilities. Over the years, apartment complexes for elderly people living independently have been built in the immediate vicinity. In 2013, De Vijverhof is the centre from which approximately five hundred elderly people receive home care. In addition to its own residents, the kitchen at De Vijverhof provides 250 elderly people with table-set-your-own meals.

Reversible construction

With the new construction, De Vijverhof is completely up-to-date again. The residents have spacious rooms and bathrooms. The new Vijverhof was built according to the principle of reversible construction. Three rooms of 50m2 each can be converted into two spacious apartments of 75m2 with simple structural interventions. The other way around is also possible. The rooms are then divided into two smaller bedrooms for psychogeriatric elderly people, for whom living rooms and day care areas have been set aside elsewhere in the complex.

With the shopping centre on the doorstep, residents have many amenities within reach. In addition, there is an indoor hair salon, a practice room (vital studio), a brasserie, a restaurant and a room with billiards, a library and an internet café. On all floors there are public spaces furnished as living rooms.

Solution for people with dementia

Van den Pol realised all electrical installations, the fire alarm system, access control and data connections. Sjaak Immerzeel, head of facility services at De Vijverhof, looks back on a pleasant collaboration. “Van den Pol distinguishes itself by thinking along and by providing pragmatic solutions. This applies to project leader Henk Slot and to the people who work here every day. In the final phase of the project, Van den Pol provided a good solution for access control of shared sanitary areas.” Sjaak Immerzeel refers to the psychogeriatric department, where two residents each have their own door to the shared sanitary facilities. A ‘occupied’ sign means nothing to these people anymore. Van den Pol installed this solution where the second door automatically locks when the first is opened, and vice versa. This electrical solution is linked to presence detection, so that doors are never locked in vain. “We have tried this with people with dementia, and it works great,” says Sjaak Immerzeel.