In Luxemburg, providing care for all those in need would be unthinkable without the help of a family member or other caregivers. Alone or in collaboration with an outpatient nursing service, they ensure the necessary care of a loved one in need.
The luxemburgish national care insurance finance 15,136 long-term care recipients (as of December 31, 2019, “Report general sur la Securite sociale 2020”). Two-thirds (10,054) were cared for at home. In 2018, a quarter of long-term care insurance expenditure was spent on cash benefits for private caregivers. A quarter of those supported loved ones suffering from dementia and similar illnesses, which are often associated with behavioural disorders. To ease the often stressful situations for the carers, the national care insurance offers six hours of training a year in addition to financial compensation for the caregivers. However, these are insufficient to meet their needs for advice, support, training and discussion.
The private carers are silent service providers in our health system. Without their help, it would be impossible to take care of the large number of people who need care but would like to stay at home as long as possible. In many cases, you find women well into the second half of their lives, who want to provide their life partner with the best care possible without having themselves any specialist knowledge of nursing and care. They are often left alone and feeling overwhelmed. There are already some offers in the field of dementia care in Luxembourg, such as the “Plan Demence Prevention” together with the “Info-Zenter Dementia” and the offers of the Luxembourg Alzheimer’s Association (ALA). Nevertheless, there are numerous other conditions the caregivers face, which are also difficult to cope with. Therefor the caregivers require additional advice and training in all areas of care and support.
The aim of the “Hand in Hand” project is to use donations on a two level offer for all caregivers in Luxembourg:
1. «Fleegetelephon»: The Care-Helpline is anonymous and confidential. It operates twice a week. Each caller finds open ears for their worries and needs as well as answers to very practical questions. One of our experienced social workers will take time to advise and support you as best as possible.
Care-Helpline: +352 691 644 644
Mondays to Fridays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
2. «Formations for caregivers»: These are small group meetings under the direction of an experienced therapist (3 x 2 hours) on the following topics: clinical pictures, communication, basic care, technical aids, lifting techniques and fall prevention.
You can register for these meetings on the helpline. As soon as 12 participants are registered, the dates and venues will then be announced.
We would like to use this opportunity to thank all donors who made this possible.
