Lynn Debruyne, Heuvelland Social Services: “We saw during the sitting days that people sometimes had to come up to three times. First for an explanation, then for the check and then again to register. We thought it would be more efficient if this could be done in one appointment. Then the second appointment serves to register immediately.”
Negative advance directive
The LEIF plan is not only about euthanasia in the event of an irreversible coma. Perhaps the most important thing is the negative advance directive. In it you indicate which care you do and which you no longer want if you suffer a brain haemorrhage or dementia. Luc Proot, LEIF doctor: “You have to take into account that 20 percent of people over the age of 80 will develop dementia. Over the age of 90, this is 40 percent. This means that a whole series of elderly and very elderly people will become permanently incapacitated over the course of their lives.”
Myriam Vanlerberghe, honorary senator and godmother of LEIF, hopes that other municipalities will follow suit and deploy municipal staff to give people correct information about a dignified end of life.