NISBO Elderly Advisory Services as a Bridge between Older Migrants and Welfare Institutions: Historical Lessons from the Dutch Experience

This article examines the historical development and institutional significance of elderly advisory services for older migrants in the Netherlands, focusing on the Netherlands Islamic Elderly Union (NISBO) and its predecessor, the Turkish Islamic Elderly Union (TISBO). Employing a qualitative historical case-study approach, the research analyses TISBO project and preparatory documents from the mid-1990s, a NISBO planning text from the 1996 transition period, and NISBO reports from 1999 and 2001, supplemented by governmental records and academic literature. The study traces the advisory initiative from its establishment within TISBO in 1994 through a gradual institutional transition completed by 1997. Historical records document 697 advisory requests between January and May 1998, addressing income, housing, healthcare and welfare-related concerns. The analysis develops an institutional bridge framework encompassing five interconnected functions: informational accessibility, communication and mediation, trust and individual support, institutional coordination, and representation and organisational learning. The findings illustrate how migrant-led advisory initiatives sought to connect individual needs with mainstream welfare institutions through accessible guidance, mediation and organisational cooperation. Although the available documentation does not establish long-term service effectiveness, the historical NISBO experience offers relevant insights into culturally responsive assistance, institutional accessibility and community-based support within increasingly diverse ageing societies.