Home care, medical tests, blood donation
Do you need to have a blood test or medical examination? Are you coming home from the hospital or a clinic and need medical care at home?
Here is some useful information about receiving home care, undergoing medical examinations, or having blood tests.
We also provide all the information you need to donate blood.
Nurses – Home Care in Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, you can receive medical procedures and care at home or at your workplace.
Home visits and nursing care
You can find a list of independent home nurses on the doctena.lu website. You can contact them to receive vaccinations. They are also fully qualified to administer injections prescribed by your doctor, remove stitches or post-operative staples, draw blood, change dressings, or reapply bandages, etc.
The costs associated with this home medical care may be reimbursed to you> with a doctor’s prescription and under certain conditions.
Private companies providing home care in Luxembourg
Several private companies also provide home medical care services in Luxembourg.
Upon request, they also provide other services such as assistance with personal hygiene, toileting, nutrition, dressing, and mobility.
Generally, they also provide domestic assistance to the elderly, dependent individuals, or people with disabilities. These services are covered by long-term care insurance, provided the application has been processed in advance. Among the companies authorized to provide these services are:
- Help Syrdall Heem
- Help.lu
- the Stëftung Hëllef Doheem Foundation, the largest network of home care and assistance in Luxembourg.
- Verbandskecht.
You can find more information on the support available for the elderly and dependent individuals on the Ministry of Family Affairs website.
Medical Tests and Blood Draws in Luxembourg
Do you need to have medical tests or a blood test done? You can visit the laboratories in Luxembourg at your convenience.
Medical testing laboratories
Since the onset of COVID-19, it is recommended that you make an appointment in advance. Check opening hours and procedures by calling ahead or visiting the laboratory’s website.
The costs of medical tests may also be covered by health insurance plans and private health insurance providers.
For blood tests, you should go to private health laboratories. You can also have your tests done at the National Health Laboratory, a public institution located in Dudelange and overseen by the Ministry of Health.
COVID-19 Testing in Luxembourg
To screen for a potential Covid infection, you can choose between rapid antigen tests, a PCR test, or a serological test.
Antigen self-tests can be performed by anyone using the self-tests recommended in Luxembourg. If the COVID test comes back positive, you must self-isolate and follow the current guidelines.
You canfind self-tests at pharmacies. Some supermarkets also sell Covid tests. You will also find surgical masks and FFP2 masks there.
In other cases, you will need to contact a medical testing laboratory. If the test is positive, follow-up is organized by the Ministry of Health. The facility that performed the test will submit the necessary reports to the authorities.
You will then receive a quarantine order that you must follow. Quarantine is carried out at home.
You can also get vaccinated against Covid-19.
HIV Testing
HIV screening tests are anonymous and free of charge. Several organizations offer these screenings.
HIV testing in hospitals
Hospitals perform HIV screening tests. You can get tested at the CHL, the Emile Mayrisch Hospital Center in Esch-sur-Alzette, or the Ettelbrück Hospital.
A mobile DIMPS unit, created in collaboration with the CHL and the Ministry of Health, also brings testing directly to the community. Operated by the Red Cross, this service promotes the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and advocates for sexual health.
The goal is to expand free and anonymous testing for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C among “at-risk” populations as well as anyone else who is interested.
Red Cross HIV Testing
To receive a rapid, free, and anonymous HIV test, you can also visit one of the Red Cross HIV-Berodung centers without an appointment or a doctor’s prescription .
HIV self-tests
In an effort to curb the spread of HIV among the Luxembourg population, self-testing kits are now available
- in pharmacies nationwide
- at Cactus supermarkets with an information leaflet in French, German, and Portuguese.
Donate blood in Luxembourg to save lives
Despite active campaigns to promote blood and platelet donation in Luxembourg, donors are still too few. Yet the need continues to grow. Donate your blood to give hope and help those who desperately need it.
“Donating blood saves lives”
Become a blood donor
Do you want to help sick or injured people? Hospitals are constantly looking for blood donors, especially if you belong to a rare blood type.
In Luxembourg, if you wish to donate blood, you should go to the Red Cross. The Red Cross is the only institution in Luxembourg authorized to collect blood from donors at the Blood Transfusion Center in Luxembourg.
How do you donate blood in Luxembourg?
To become a donor in Luxembourg, you must submit a specific registration application to be included in the “Donor Registry.”
Only people registered in the Blood Donor Registry can donate blood. There are several ways to register: fill out the online blood donation form, visit the Red Cross, or contact them.
After an interview, some administrative procedures, and a medical examination, you will then be registered as an official donor in Luxembourg.
To be a donor in Luxembourg, however, certain requirements must be met:
- be between 18 and 60 years old ,
- weigh at least 50 kg
- be in good health.
How often can you donate blood in Luxembourg, and how?
Once you are registered in the Donor Registry, you will be invited to donate blood 3 or 4 times a year.
To donate blood, bring your invitation, your donor card, and/or your ID. Upon arrival at the center, you will receive a follow-up questionnaire to complete.
You can then donate blood, plasma, or platelets.
Blood donation takes 6 to 12 minutes, depending on the donor. Donating platelets or plasma takes longer—about 30 to 45 minutes.
Time off from work to donate blood
Check with your employer to arrange for time off. In Luxembourg, some companies grant their employees 2 to 4 hours of time off to go donate blood! So there’s no excuse not to help save lives.
Practicing as a Nurse in Luxembourg
Are you interested in becoming a nurse? Nursing is a regulated profession in Luxembourg. To practice as a nurse, you must hold a degree recognized by the Ministry of Health.
Are you already a nurse with a nursing degree issued by a country other than the Grand Duchy? You must have your degree recognized. More information here.
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