The year 2016 was a busy one for Omega 90, the Luxembourg association for the promotion of palliative care and bereavement support.
The four services of the association are developing well and there is a growing demand for all activities. For instance, consultation psychotherapists have accompanied nearly 1,000 bereaved children, adolescents and adults in 2,861 counselling sessions.
The goal of these interviews is the activation of resources, the stabilisation of the bereaved and the reduction of symptoms related to bereavement. Children are accompanied individually by the’ Kannerservice’.
Similarly, Haus Omega, a palliative care centre for end-of-life patients, accommodated 109 patients (46 men and 63 women) for an average length of stay of 42 days.
An audit of the Swiss Society of Medicine and Palliative Care resulted in the award of the "Palliative quality", making the Haus Omega the first certified palliative care centre in Luxembourg.
Moreover, the Training Department provided palliative care training to a total of 850 health sector professionals and those from the psycho-socio-educational field and organised public conferences attended by 500 people.
The Volunteer Service managed a network of 64 active volunteers, aged 41 to 79, helping at Haus Omega and at home. 13 new volunteers completed their training, with a total duration of 140 hours spread over one year in 2016.
Indeed, €5,354,000 was spent on providing Omega 90 services last year, largely financed by agreements with the Ministry of Family and the CNS, as well as subsidies from the Ministry of Health.
However, a growing part of the expenditure must be financed by donations. Last year, donations equated to €533,000.
Finally, pilot projects "Palliative Geriatry" and "psychological support to refugees" were initiated in 2016, with the support of Caritas and the Red Cross.
