Onvrijwillige zorg bij mensen met een lichte verstandelijke beperking

Missed chances in the Dutch Care and Coercion Act

The aim of the Dutch Care and Coercion Act (Wet Zorg en Dwang) is to improve the legal position of people with an intellectual disability in cases of involuntary admission to psychiatric care. The present law, the Dutch Psychiatric Act (Wet BOPZ), only offers legal protection to clients who are admitted involuntarily to specific institutions. The Care and Coercion Act will lead to significant changes in the care of people with an intellectual disability and a much larger group of clients with an intellectual disability will fall under the range of this Act. Limitations to freedom – referred to as ‘involuntary admission’ within the new law – must meet the same criteria for each client. The legislator, however, seems to have paid little attention to those clients with a mild intellectual disability.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.