According to an investigation by EenVandaag and Follow the Money, a real estate company called Lenfrink Groep Zwolle buys rundown buildings and rents them to elderly care operators, despite them often being unfit for such a function. The investigation found that the practice is unsafe, and in Tienray it even led to a death.

According to independent investigator Jos van Garderen, who examined the 2023 death of a resident at a care facility in Tienray, Limburg, the conditions at that care home were “worn out and filthy.” The facility occupies a former monastery that has been part of Leneferink Groep Zwolle’s real estate portfolio since 2008. After the investigation, Van Garderen saw many problems with the building. “The basement leaks. So does the roof. All kinds of things needed replacing. There were holes in the floor,” he told EenVandaag.

The entrance alone is not suitable for the elderly. There was no working stairlift, only a high landing. Speaking of the man who died, Van Garderen said he “literally crawled up the steps, one by one, to ring the doorbell.” He labeled the location “unsafe” in his report.

The investigator also said that the care company that rented the building was inexperienced and did not staff the facility with the right workers. According to the report, the man who died had received the wrong medication and had two falls. The second fall resulted in a head wound that ultimately took his life.

“The building was not fit for care. Not for this kind of care. I would be truly ashamed if this were on my conscience,” Van Garderen said.

Laferink CEO Emiel Brink rejects the finding that the building was unsuitable for care. He said the company received no reports from the care provider about the property’s state. He nevertheless called the events “serious,” adding that they should not be downplayed.