The non-profit organisation Wärtvollt Liewen (‘Precious Life’) has demanded an urgent meeting with Luc Frieden, who is currently leading the coalition negotiations for the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV). According to the organisation’s spokespeople, many people with severe disabilities do not receive the required assistance due to a lack of personal and government-regulated at-home assistance.
In 2011, Luxembourg ratified a UN convention on the support for people with disabilities, but many of the practical aspects of that implementation are said to be underdeveloped, particularly in comparison to other countries. Organisations now hope that the new government will rectify this issue.
Caretakers believe that people with disabilities are not given the chance to take their own decisions. According to Germain Weber and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), the Grand Duchy therefore not only needs new legislation, but also a different mindset when it comes to the independence of people with disabilities.
Our colleagues from RTL discussed the situation with Jean-Marc Scheer from the Wärtvollt Liewen organisation whose wife Nathalie has a severe type of ALS and needs daily care. He explained that without contributing hundreds of thousands of euros by themselves, it would not have been possible for her to keep living at home. He argued that they are being left behind, with the Ministry for Family Affairs being the only ones listening to their their struggle.
Those affected now hope that their situation will improve once they have been given an opportunity to communicate their demands to the future coalition government.
