VPTZ Noordoost Friesland

Founded in 1995, VPTZ Noordoost Friesland is a charity based in Dokkum, Netherlands working on health, elderly care.

VPTZ Noordoost Friesland is a volunteer-based foundation in the northeast of Friesland, Netherlands, that supports people with terminal illness and their families in the final phase of life. VPTZ stands for Vrijwilligers Palliatieve Terminale Zorg. Volunteers help patients who wish to die at home in their familiar surroundings, and also support care institutions and informal carers. Volunteers do not perform medical or nursing tasks; they relieve partners and family, for example by keeping night watch, providing personal care, or reading aloud. Support is free of charge, typically for about three months, and is arranged by coordinators after an introductory conversation, often referred by home care services. Volunteers complete a basic course in palliative terminal care before being deployed, and follow further training. The foundation was established on 10 March 1995 as Stichting Vrijwillige Terminale Thuiszorg Noord-Oost Friesland and is part of the national umbrella VPTZ Nederland. It is registered with the Dutch tax authority as an ANBI, and the affiliated Stichting Vrienden raises funds through donations and legacies. Support is provided in Noordoost Friesland, with expansion to Ameland from summer 2024.