“The state law excluded the possibility of ALS patients receiving a benefit when they entered a residential care center. So we stepped in, and Aragon will provide this aid to ALS patients living in residential care centers,” he said. An initial allocation of 195,000 euros is planned, with a payment of 9,859 euros per beneficiary, which may be increased to 19,718 euros if funds remain available.
Nolasco presented the scheme as “another example of management,” particularly because of its impact on people who require continuous care. “This is what management means, especially when there are people who are suffering, having a hard time and need continuous care and ongoing benefits because they are suffering from something as serious as ALS. In that sense, I think it is good news,” he said.
AID TO COVER CARE COSTS
The scheme aims to help cover the high cost of the personal and care services these patients need, which are not included in residential care or in the financial benefits provided through the System for Personal Autonomy and Dependency Care.
Each beneficiary will initially receive 9,859 euros in a single payment. The maximum budget is 195,000 euros, although it may be increased without opening a new application period. If the funding is insufficient to meet all applications that satisfy the requirements, the amount will be reduced through a pro rata distribution among the beneficiaries. Conversely, if funds remain after all applications have been decided, the individual grant may be increased proportionally up to a maximum of 19,718 euros per person.
REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY
To apply for this aid, applicants must have been diagnosed with advanced ALS, be registered as residents in a municipality in Aragon and be permanently admitted to a residential care center.
The scheme considers the disease to be at an advanced stage when, in addition to the diagnosis, there is severe muscle weakness in the upper and lower limbs. Applicants must also require continuous mechanical ventilatory support, invasive or non-invasive, for at least 16 hours a day, as well as assistance due to difficulties managing secretions and an inability to cough.
The documents applicants must provide include the completed form, a report from a respiratory medicine or neurology specialist certifying the advanced ALS condition, a certificate of registration as a resident and another confirming their stay at the residential care center. They must also submit third-party payment details to receive the funds.
TEN WORKING DAYS TO APPLY
The application period will be ten working days from the day after the order is published in the Official Gazette of Aragon. Applications may preferably be submitted online through the regional government’s electronic office, although in-person applications will also be accepted at designated registration offices.
Once the deadline has passed, the Aragonese Institute of Social Services will have a maximum of one month to decide on the applications. The aid will not require subsequent financial justification beyond proof that the circumstances that led to its award continue to apply.
