Seniors in Brussels: housing, autonomy and data

Key data

Brussels has approximately 163,000 people aged 65 and over, representing 13% of the regional population (1,255,795 inhabitants as of 1 January 2025). This proportion is significantly lower than the Belgian average (~20%), but ageing is progressing: projections from the Federal Planning Bureau place the share of 65+ at 19% by 2071.

Among those aged 65+, people aged 80 and over account for 4% of the total population and 28% of the 65+ cohort. This ratio — the intensity of ageing — is rising (26% in 1991).

13% of Brussels residents aged 65+ receive GRAPA (Guaranteed Income for Elderly Persons), amounting to approximately 20,583 people (January 2022). This is three times more than in Flanders (4%) and more than double the rate in Wallonia (5%). The gap between municipalities is considerable: from 4% in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre to 26% in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode.

Coverage in the DPR

The Regional Policy Declaration (DPR) of 13 February 2026 addresses seniors in chapter 11 (Social / Health), without a dedicated section. The identified measures:

• Home care: strengthened structural support for elderly people or those losing autonomy
• Informal caregivers: respite schemes, administrative simplification
• Alternatives to nursing homes: development envisaged (without further details)
• Multidisciplinary facilities: nursing homes are mentioned in a list alongside medical centres and hospitals

The DPR mentions neither Iriscare, nor the ongoing accreditation standards reform, nor the Allocation for Assistance to Elderly Persons (APA), nor the autonomy insurance scheme. No specific budget is allocated to these measures, and no quantified targets are set.

For comparison, Iriscare's institutional funding for elderly care facilities amounts to approximately 541 million EUR in 2024 (Iriscare annual report). The APA represents an additional 35.4 million EUR.

In Belgium, 13.3% of the population aged 15 and over is an informal caregiver, with a peak among 55-64 year-olds (23.2%) — national data from Sciensano (health survey 2023-2024). No regional breakdown for Brussels is available.

Institutional housing

Capacity and occupancy

Iriscare counts 211 elderly care facilities in the Brussels-Capital Region, including 119 nursing homes. 11,592 people reside in them:

• 70% are women
• 53% are aged 85 or over
• ~49% receive the increased reimbursement

The private commercial sector holds 62% of accredited beds; the public and non-profit sector accounts for 38%.

Nursing home prices

Since February 2026, Iriscare publishes comparative price data by facility:

Base prices excluding supplements (laundry, hairdresser, activities).

The daily allowance has increased by 40.88% since the transfer of competence in 2019 (46.35 EUR/day → 65.30 EUR/day).

Ongoing reform

New accreditation standards came into force on 1 September 2024 (decree of the Joint College (Collège réuni) of 18 January 2024). They mark the shift from a care-centred model to a resident-centred model (autonomy, participation, quality of life).

Other reform measures:

• Fire safety standards: existing facilities must obtain an A or B certificate by 1 September 2026
• Recovery of unoccupied beds: 50% of vacant beds on average expire automatically every 15 April
• Reactivation staff: 18 million EUR/year for physiotherapists, psychologists, speech therapists, dietitians and educators
• Unlimited accreditation (previously 6 years maximum) and intermediate sanctions (fines, suspension)

Three Iriscare measures operational in 2026

Three schemes implemented by Iriscare (the bicommunautary administration of the COCOM, including its in-house research arm, the Health and Social Observatory) came into force during the first quarter of 2026. They complement the structural reform of nursing homes of September 2024 without amending it legally.

eAgreement: mandatory electronic admissions (1 March 2026)

Since 1 March 2026, all Brussels MR, MRS and CSJ (nursing homes, residential care homes and day-care centres) must transmit their applications for care and assistance allowances for daily-life acts electronically, via the Iriscarenet platform, to the Brussels insurance organisations (OAB).

The scheme follows the already deployed electronic invoicing. Expected benefits as communicated by Iriscare: faster transmission of admission requests, elimination of recurring postal-delivery problems. No quantified target (delay reduction, savings) has been published at this stage.

Source: Iriscare — Electronic admissions MR/MRS/CSJ (15 April 2026). Confidence: official.

Continuing training: new obligation for head nurses (1 January 2026)

From 1 January 2026, head nurses in Brussels nursing homes must follow at least 24 hours of training per year on three specific topics: team management, work efficiency, well-being at work. This obligation is added to the general modalities already in force since the September 2024 reform:

Establishments must also submit a biennial training plan to Iriscare before 1 June 2026. No prior approval is required, but Iriscare conducts ex-post checks. The Iriscare communication does not specify sanctions in case of non-compliance.

Source: Iriscare — Continuing training MR (15 April 2026). Confidence: official.

Bilingualism: scheme extended to six sectors (September 2025)

Launched in 2021 as a pilot phase reserved for nursing homes, the Iriscare scheme of financed Dutch courses for staff of Brussels institutions accredited and financed by the body was opened up in September 2025 to several other social and health sectors.

Tally September 2025 → first quarter 2026: 67 professionals trained. Sectoral breakdown indicated in the press release:

• nursing homes (60% of participants),
• services for persons with disabilities,
• functional rehabilitation centres,
• home-care services,
• protected-housing initiatives,
• mental-health care.

The scheme is implemented in partnership with Het Huis van het Nederlands and CVO Bruxelles, who tailor the courses to the needs of the health/social sector.

Source: Iriscare — Bilingualism: encouraging results (27 April 2026). Confidence: official.

Allocation for Assistance to Elderly Persons (APA)

The APA is a monthly allowance paid to persons aged 65 and over with reduced autonomy (minimum score of 7 points on the autonomy reduction scale). Maximum amount: 594 EUR/month.

The APA is a competence transferred from the federal level to COCOM on 1 January 2019. Data is published by stat.iriscare.brussels (socio-demographic profile and expenditure trends).

Senior employment

Unemployment among 55+

Actiris publishes monthly unemployment statistics by age group (55-59, 60-64, 65+) and by municipality via the ViewStat tool. The 50+ age bracket is also available as an aggregate.

Flexi-jobs

Flexi-jobs are growing markedly among the 65+ age group: +52.6% in 2024 according to ONSS. Those aged 65+ account for 18.7% of all flexi-workers, but 29.2% of work volume (ONSS data, broken down by age and region, updated quarterly).

Distribution of competences

The competent regional minister is Ahmed Laaouej (PS) — Social Action and Solidarity (Region) and Health and Social Action (COCOM / Joint College). No ministerial portfolio explicitly mentions seniors or Iriscare.

Issues to monitor

• Fire safety standards (1 September 2026): how many facilities will have obtained the A or B certificate on time?
• Bed recovery: what impact on total supply? Has the temporary suspension of the mechanism been extended?
• COCOF DPR: the text, not yet public as of 22 February 2026, may contain additional commitments regarding the elderly
• Demographic projections: the share of 65+ will rise from 13% to 19% by 2071 — are housing and care capacities calibrated accordingly?
• APA: trends in applications and expenditure in the context of population ageing

What the data does not show

Certain dimensions of ageing in Brussels lack structured public data:

• Social restaurants: each CPAS manages its own facilities. No aggregated data on supply, attendance or user profiles is published at the regional level.
• Social isolation among seniors: there is no barometer specific to Brussels. Available data is fragmented — the King Baudouin Foundation estimates that 21% of people aged 60+ in Belgium are at risk of isolation (2025 barometer). Statbel measures loneliness in the general population (4.8% in Brussels, Q3 2024). An academic study places objective isolation among Brussels residents aged 65+ at 29%, compared to 24% in Wallonia and 21% in Flanders.
• Scams and fraud targeting seniors: the federal police publishes cybercrime statistics (64,995 offences in 2024) but does not break them down by victim age.
• Informal caregivers in Brussels: only national data exists (Sciensano: 13.3% of the population aged 15+). No Brussels-specific breakdown is published.

'It takes a village': Montessori approach in 23 Brussels nursing homes (13 May 2026)

Launched in spring 2024 by Iriscare, the "It takes a village" programme supports 23 Brussels nursing and care homes (MR/MRS) towards the Montessori approach — an organisational method centred on the resident's autonomy, the personalisation of care and the involvement of staff in collective decisions. Preliminary results communicated by Iriscare on 13 May 2026: improvement of residents' autonomy, reduction of sleep and mood disorders, increased staff motivation. No external academic evaluation has been published at this stage.

Institutional reminder: this programme is led by Iriscare as part of the reform of accreditation standards — Cocom competence. The reform aims to shift from a care-centred model to a resident-centred one, without altering the basic legal obligations.

Source: Iriscare — It takes a village: focus on the Montessori approach (13 May 2026). Confidence: official.

APA: nearly 9,000 beneficiaries in Brussels (11 May 2026)

Iriscare published on 11 May 2026 a key figure: nearly 9,000 people receive in Brussels the Allowance for Assistance to Elderly Persons (APA). The APA is a benefit paid to people aged 65 and over who experience difficulties carrying out the acts of daily life (dressing, eating, moving, etc.), modulated according to the degree of autonomy. In Brussels, the APA falls to Iriscare (public-interest body of the Cocom, joint community commission) since competence was transferred in the wake of the 6th State Reform.

The figure adds to the stock of public indicators on Brussels ageing: 13% of 65+ receiving the GRAPA (guaranteed income for elderly persons), 211 establishments for the elderly funded by Iriscare (€541M in 2024). A nominal aggregate figure on APA beneficiaries — the main support scheme for at-home dependent seniors — was missing until now. The figure is directly usable by this dossier and the social card.

Source: Iriscare — Nearly 9,000 APA beneficiaries in Brussels (11 May 2026). Confidence: official.

Tubbe approach: new focus of the 'It takes a village' series (18 May 2026)

Iriscare published on 18 May 2026 a new instalment of the "It takes a village" series, devoted to the Tubbe approach — a Swedish organisational method emphasising autonomy, the co-decision of residents and the distributed leadership of staff in nursing homes. It complements the Montessori approach (focus 13 May) among the levers explored by Iriscare as part of the reform of nursing home accreditation standards.

Source: Iriscare — It takes a village: focus on the Tubbe approach (18 May 2026). Confidence: official.