Catalonia will begin processing the ELA law aid applications next week
The Government will extend the benefit to patients who need at least 20 hours of care per day.
BarcelonaPatients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Catalonia will be able to apply for the benefit of the long-awaited ELA law Starting next week, a year and a half after its approval in the Congress of Deputies, the Catalan government will give the green light to its implementation at its weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 17th, and patients will be able to access it starting Thursday. Once it receives an application, the Catalan executive will have a maximum of three months to respond, recognize the degree of disability, and provide the assistance. The Department of Social Rights estimates that there are around 200 people who can apply for Level III+ of extreme dependency—created specifically for this condition—which is intended to guarantee the rights of those suffering from it. incurable neurodegenerative disease to receive specialized service up to 24 hours a day if needed.
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, announced this Wednesday the start of the implementation of the Spanish law agreed upon with ERC and the Comuns, as well as with the Catalan ALS Foundation Miquel Valls, the leading organization for this disease in the country. Apart from the financial benefit provided for in Spanish lawThe Catalan government will increase aid with an additional allowance when a person requires 20 or 24 hours of daily care, reaching up to €12,300 and €14,700 per month respectively. ALS patients will have to undergo an evaluation process to determine if they meet the criteria for Level III+ disability. In Catalonia, this group has a specific channel jointly managed by the Departments of Health and Social Rights. Once their level of dependency is recognized, patients will have a unique care plan tailored to their needs and a designated professional who will be responsible for coordinating with the social and healthcare services they provide, as well as with their family. These professionals will report directly to the Department of Social Rights, which plans to hire additional staff, although the number has not yet been specified, with the aim of "avoiding disruptions in care" for patients. This professional, along with the other services providing care to the patient and their family, will determine the number of daily care hours and, therefore, the financial assistance. In Catalonia, an ALS patient requiring 8 hours of care per day will receive €4,900; 12 hours per day will bring €7,300; and 16 hours per day will bring €9,800. The Miquel Valls Foundation has previously noted that this does not cover the costs of technical equipment, such as patient lifts, adjustable beds, or home modifications. In Catalonia, the foundation finances these expenses through equipment exchange programs. It's important to remember that the disease progresses so rapidly that patients must periodically change their equipment to adapt to their needs, and often, families (especially mothers, sisters, or daughters) provide the care due to the high cost of hiring specialist professionals.
