From 1 October, elderly people in Luxembourg who are no longer ill enough to remain in hospital, but not yet strong enough to return home, will be able to stay for two to a maximum of three months in one of four participating care facilities. The "Out of hospital" initiative aims to ease the pressure on patients and families, giving them a comfortable recovery period and more time to make decisions about long-term care arrangements.
At launch, 36 beds will be available across the residential care homes in Eischen and Clervaux, the Servior facility in Niederkorn, and the Luxembourg Red Cross centre in Junglinster. According to Family Minister Max Hahn, five further facilities are seeking to join the pilot, potentially adding 30 additional beds to the scheme in future.
Residents participating in the programme will pay a maximum of €75 per day. The remainder of the costs will be subsidised by the "Out of hospital" budget, which totals €3.2 million per year.
The effectiveness of the pilot will be assessed at the end of 2029. However, both ministers said they are confident the project will prove successful.
