The Walloon government has earmarked €22 million in the 2020 budget for the adaptation of 2,266 nursing home beds into beds in rest and care homes, spread over 141 establishments throughout the region, Walloon Social Action Minister Christie Morreale (PS) announced on Wednesday.
This measure, which will improve the care given to residents without increasing the cost to them, will notably entail the obligatory presence of a nurse during the night and day along with a medical coordinator, or even the provision of premises specifically intended for physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
"There is a double benefit to this measure. On the one hand, residents will benefit from a more appropriate multidisciplinary support and, on the other, the working conditions of care staff (nurses, carers, occupational therapists, etc.) will be easier because there will be more of them to share the workload," the minister stated in a press release.
In Wallonia, more than a quarter of people aged between 85 and 94 lives in a care home.
The Brussels Times
