In a report on the municipality’s elderly care, representative Tonje Ottosen Johnsen in Trondheim writes about patients who do not get enough food and drink, and residents who are not allowed to go to the toilet.
The situation for the elderly in the red-green municipality of Trondheim is a shocking picture.
Ombud Tonje Ottosen Johnsen is very concerned about the conditions in the municipality’s care for the elderly:
This is serious, says Johnsen to Adresseavisen.
NTB also reports on this.
In a report to Trondheim municipality, the ombudsman for health, care and upbringing tells how the elderly are not given the help and follow-up they should have. We are talking about large and serious deficiencies.
Last year, the ombudsman received 355 complaints where failure was stated, of which 60 stemmed from conditions in care for the elderly.
Many of the complaints concerned unworthy situations created as a result of insufficient staffing.
It is consistent that the patient’s rehabilitation potential and primary needs are not taken care of, Johnsen writes in the report.
Some of the messages that were sent to the representative are reproduced anonymously in the annual report.
We are talking about very undignified conditions for the elderly.
The descriptions are about elderly people in need of help not getting help when it is called, patients being asked to pee in nappies instead of being helped to the toilet and nappies not being changed until many hours later.
The ombudsman is clear that the situation does not say anything about the condition of everyone who is covered by the care for the elderly in the municipality, with most receiving good treatment in the care for the elderly.
Nevertheless, the ombudsman describes the situation with insufficient staffing and low competence as a general problem within the city’s nursing homes.
Health and welfare director Wenche Dehli in Trondheim says she will wait to comment on the report until it is presented for political consideration.
Conditions for the elderly and those in need of help in the public health system have long been a flagship issue for the red-greens, and in particular Ap.
Ap that has been in power in Trondheim municipality for a long time, with mayor Rita Ottervik in the driver’s seat.
In the red-green party’s (Ap, SV, MDG and Sp) management platform for Trondheim municipality 2019–2023, it is specifically mentioned how well the elderly must be cared for by the municipality during this period.
Here, Ap has now received what many will consider to be a slightly advantageous window towards the upcoming municipal election campaign.