The League of Families, the League of Human Rights and their co-signatories call for a more humane approach to the issue and for a uniform legal framework, debated and voted on in parliament. There are, for example, those parents forced to take turns with a sick child when the hospital only accepts one accompanying person, or even those elderly people behind the window of the nursing home, the telephone glued to their ears to hear what their grandchildren under the age of 12 have to tell them from the doorstep, since they cannot enter the building.
“The chief physician of each hospital can restrict the possibilities of visits depending on the situation in and out of the hospital. Heads of departments also have the option of setting different rules for their own department.” On the same day, the conditions of visit are here reinforced, there relaxed, point out the signatories.
In rest homes, these rules restricting fundamental rights are enacted by circulars, and are therefore neither debated nor voted on in parliament.
“By limiting the number of visits, visitors or by imposing conditions linked to the age of these, the establishments are guilty of an unlawful interference with the rights guaranteed by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights , since no legal framework provides for this restriction”, underline the organizations.
The League of Families, the League of Human Rights, the Gang of Angry Old People, Eneo, Espace Seniors, LUSS, Senoah, Respect Seniors, Aging Well, Senior Montessori, Entr’Ages and ASBL Générations therefore call for development of a legal framework after a democratic debate and a minimum right to visits, guaranteed regardless of the health situation.
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