Adapted Care Home Visits Permitted in Luxembourg

On Tuesday afternoon, Luxembourg’s Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Corinne Cahen, and COPAS President Marc Fischbach held a press conference on adaptations of the confinement measures in care homes.

Minister Corinne Cahen began by recognising the challenge posed by seven weeks of staying at home, not least for people who have been unable to visit relatives. Nevertheless, she recalled the need to continue to protect vulnerable people in society, such as the elderly in care homes.

While the need to respect safety barriers remains vital, Minister Cahen confirmed that the government had been working in collaboration with COPAS, (Confédération des organismes prestataires d'aides et de soins), which represents care sector service providers in Luxembourg, to discuss ways of allowing older people to see their loved ones in compliance with these safety measures. She recalled that there are currently 5,765 care home residents in the Grand Duchy, 90 of whom have tested positive for COVID-19. While 29 residents have died, 41 have already recovered from the virus.

Corinne Cahen stressed that the foreseen adaptations in Luxembourg’s care homes did not represent an end to confinement, rather the conditions within confinement would be adapted. The Minister for Family Affairs also pointed out three important topics being discussed in this area, namely how to resume care home visits, allowing family members to visit loved ones who are dying and how physiotherapists and other medical professionals can resume work in care homes.

To answer these questions, the government and actors in the sector have been proposing creative means of enabling care home visits, for instance via plexiglass. While every care home is different, Minister Cahen stressed the need to retain the same level of safety as at present.

Registration for care home visits will be obligatory and visits will be for a limited time and limited to a small number of people. Visitors will receive safety instructions at the entrance of the structure. Visits are not allowed in the case that either the visitor or care home resident present COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with someone who tested positive in the past 14 days. At present, indoor visits are only possible for visitors aged 16 and over, while outdoor visits are reserved for visitors over the age of 12.

Regarding adapted safety measures, both visitors and residents are required to wash their hands, wear a face mask, be separated by plexiglass or maintain a distance of at least two metres during the visit. Visitors may also be required to wear single-use clothing to be disposed after the visit. Minister Cahen added that the room where the visit takes place will be cleaned and disinfected afterwards according to official recommendations.

Corinne Cahen also confirmed that visitors would be allowed to visit a dying relative in accordance with the safety restrictions.

On the third point, Minister Cahen stated that physiotherapists, psychologists, speech therapists and other medical professionals will also be able to resume their activities in care homes. This resumption of activity requires adherence to health measures such as handwashing and wearing protective clothing.

For his part, COPAS President Marc Fischbach emphasised the importance of therapists in supporting care home residents suffering from isolation. He added that it was up to the managers of Luxembourg’s care homes to arrange alternatives, such as telephone and video calls, in the case that visits cannot take place.