Home visits: monitoring and hydration assistance
The Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé) has set up a heatwave plan: anyone who is aged 75 or older and lives alone (or with a disabled person), has limited autonomy, receives little assistance from relatives and friends, and does not receive long-term care insurance benefits may register (or have another person register on their behalf) with the social welfare department of their local municipal office to receive home visits to monitor their well-being and provide hydration assistance during heatwaves.
Certain groups of people who live alone, such as the elderly and people with illnesses, are particularly at risk during periods of extreme heat. Often, they do not recognise the warning signs of dehydration or hyperthermia. They have more difficulty coping with high temperatures and their health can deteriorate quite rapidly. It is therefore especially important that these people are checked on regularly during periods of extreme heat: if their health is suffering, it is important to identify this as early as possible.
Once the National Health Directorate (Direction de la Santé) triggers the heatwave plan, an assessment visit is arranged for individuals enrolled in the heatwave plan, followed by monitoring and hydration assistance visits, if deemed necessary. These visits are made by caregivers employed by home care and assistance networks operating in Luxembourg.
