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Frequently Asked Questions,

By audience

Getting started

How do I sign up?

You call us. The number is +31 6 22 76 88 95, on weekdays between 9:00 and 17:00. The coordinator will take 15 to 20 minutes to listen to what you're looking for. No forms to fill in beforehand, no website to navigate. If you'd rather have someone in your family call on your behalf, that's also fine.

No. Bonusbuur is for anyone aged 75 or older who could use some practical or social support. Whether you live alone, with a partner, or with family nearby. Many of our clients have family who simply live too far away or are too busy to come weekly. Bonusbuur is meant to complement the people already in your life, not replace them.

Right now Bonusbuur is starting in Woensel-Zuid, with plans to expand to other Eindhoven neighbourhoods in 2027. If you live further away, we can put you on a waiting list and let you know when we reach your area. We can also point you toward similar services that already operate elsewhere in the Netherlands.

Usually within one to two weeks from your first phone call. The process is: an intake conversation, then we look for a good match among our students, then a first meeting at Senioren Belang Woensel where you and the student get to know each other with the coordinator present. After that meeting, if it feels right to both of you, regular visits begin.

Getting started

How do I sign up?

Fill out the form on bonusbuur.nl/studenten or email info@bonusbuur.nl. The coordinator will invite you for a 20-minute intake conversation, usually within a week. After that, if it's a good fit, we'll start the training and matching process.

No. We provide the training. What we look for is reliability, warmth, and the willingness to commit for at least three months. Many of our best students had no prior experience, they came because they wanted meaningful work, not because they came from a care background.

Most students do between two and six hours per week, across one or two matches. You set your own limit based on your schedule and studies. We don't pressure anyone to take on more than they can carry well.

Yes. Every Bonusbuur student needs a Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag before being matched. We pay for the VOG ourselves, you don't carry that cost. The application takes about two weeks to process.

Getting started

What does Bonusbuur actually do for my parent?

We connect them with a vetted student who comes regularly, usually once or twice a month, to provide practical non-medical support and companionship. Tech help, accompaniment to appointments, light household tasks, conversation. It's designed to complement what you do, not replace it. Many of our clients are people whose adult children live elsewhere or have demanding jobs and can't be physically present every week.

We don't recommend it. Bonusbuur depends on the elderly person actively choosing to participate, it's their home, their time, their consent. You can call us to discuss the service and we'll explain how to talk with your parent about it, but the eventual phone call and intake should involve them. If your parent has reduced cognitive capacity and you have legal authority, that's a different conversation we can have with you directly.

Call us for a free 15-minute conversation. The coordinator will ask about your parent's situation and tell you honestly whether Bonusbuur fits. If it doesn't, for example if your parent needs medical care or has advanced dementia, we'll point you toward the right service instead.

You can be involved in the conversation before the match, telling us about your parent's preferences, interests, and any sensitivities. But the final match is decided by the coordinator based on the intake with your parent. After the first meeting, your parent decides whether to continue. We do this to keep the relationship between the student and your parent, not between the student and the family.

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Call us: +31 6 22 76 88 95