ESN member, the city of Esch-SurAlzette (Luxembourg), is one of the 4 municipalities (out of 102 in the Duchy), to have a dedicated department for older people in Luxembourg.

The Department for Elderly People and People with Special Needs in Esch-Sur Alzette is responsible for the implementation and management of the Escher BiBSS (Bureau d’information Besoins Spécifiques & Seniors), which provides assistance to elderly people, people with special needs and their families.

The mission of Escher BiBSS is to inform, facilitate, guide and participate. The wellbeing of older people is ensured through a low threshold and welcoming approach with an accessible meeting space, fostering respect, active listening, empathy and a person-centred approach.

People can enter the office anonymously to ask general questions in their mother tongue as the office provides support in languages such as French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese. The office also uses digital tools such as touch-screen information displays.

Launched in November 2019, the service was extremely helpful during the pandemic. For instance, during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, senior people could register by phone and book a bus on demand, the precursor of the Escher PlusBus that was implemented in July 2021.

Thanks to Escher BiBSS, the threshold to access social services in Esch-Sur Alzette is lower. People feel safe and ask for support and advice more spontaneously.

Looking at the future, the city of Esch-Sur Alzette is planning to establish a decentralised branch of Escher BiBSS in the northern-east district Lankelz – Lalleng where a significant proportion of the municipality’s elderly population lives.

Find more information about Escher BiBSS here.