“This way, I can also make an impact on a larger scale”

“I worked in home care as a domestic support worker for quite a long time. You visit many people, get to know them, and hear about certain issues. For example, how care is organised. That made me think and made me want to learn more about it. During my bachelor’s in Health Sciences, I researched the role of informal caregivers in nursing homes. I found it very interesting to think about these issues and to look at how we can improve care. That is how I ended up choosing the master’s programme Health, Ageing and Society (then called Vitality and Ageing).”

A broad perspective

“During the programme we had several assignments focused on leadership, communication and research. One assignment asked us to combine policies from different countries into a new policy document. I tried to combine the Japanese system with the Dutch Social Support Act. This taught me how you can merge different positive approaches into one innovative plan.”

“What I will also remember is wearing the ‘ageing suits’. You wear a suit that makes you experience the discomforts that come with ageing. You don’t realise how challenging certain things can be. It also made me more aware of how my own lifestyle affects my health, and how we can delay certain age-related issues by staying as healthy and active as possible.”

Innovating together with older adults

“In the master’s we worked closely with older adults from the Ouderenberaad Zuid-Holland Noord. This collaboration was very inspiring. We learned how important it is for them to stay actively involved in society. You could even say that vitality was directly linked to meaning and purpose. Of course, not all older adults can be this vital; several factors play a role. At the same time, the collaboration inspired me to think about how we can move towards a society with as many vital older adults as possible. So that they can grow old in their familiar environment, with support from loved ones if needed, in a healthy and enjoyable way. We trust that this independence can also contribute to more efficient care in the long term, but the well-being of older adults always comes first.”

Impact at the policy table

“There are different paths after this master’s. You can work in care, in research, or move towards policy. The latter interested me most. I enjoy developing policy based on rules, laws and negotiations. This way, I can also make an impact on a larger scale. Policy affects a large group of people.”

“I have now been working for a year and a half as a junior policy adviser at Actiz. Actiz is a sector organisation of almost 350 care organisations, committed to more than two million vulnerable older adults and chronically ill people. My work involves a work-learn trajectory to become a policy adviser. There is a lot of space for personal development. My team works on issues related to nursing home care. Together with a colleague, I work on the dementia portfolio.”

“The questions we face are very diverse. For example, how to ensure that nursing home care remains future-proof. We advise a core group of directors on these topics. Besides advising, we also represent the interests of our members. When our directors sit at the table with other parties where decisions are made, we help them prepare which priorities and positions to bring forward.”

“I still learn every day. What’s funny is that during the master’s I learned to write in a funnel structure: start broad, then narrow down to what you want to say. In policy work, this is different. You want to get to the message for your director as quickly as possible. Short and to the point is key. That took some adjusting, but it has helped me develop further.”

A master’s unlike any other

“Health, Ageing and Society is a master’s programme unlike any other. There is a lot of attention on the future of elderly care, but also on your own future. For example, on the kind of work you can go into after the programme. Actiz visited us during my studies. This helped me get a broader view of the work they do. Later, I received the vacancy for my current job through one of the lecturers and applied. The people who visited us back then are now my colleagues. It is quite exceptional that the programme offers this.”

Faculty of Medicine: more than medicine

The master’s programme Health, Ageing and Society is part of the Faculty of Medicine of Leiden University Medical Center and Leiden University. The faculty prepares students to truly make a difference, especially now that the healthcare system is under pressure and health inequalities are growing.

This requires broad expertise: from care and prevention to research and innovation, aimed at societal challenges such as ageing, and supported by technology and data. That is why the faculty offers a wide range of master’s programmes: Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Health, Ageing and Society, Population Health Management, Technical Medicine, Pharmacy, Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Tissue Therapies, and Statistics and Data Science. Discover which bachelor’s or master’s programme suits you.