NRK Brennpunkt highlights the state of aged care. It’s the undignified relationship that sticks when we watch this documentary about the crazy Lilly (90) living at home alone. He gets too little or no food. Lilly is also not getting the help she needs for medication and care.

We’re basically dealing with a system failure rooted in the fact that Lilly was visited by 21 different caregivers during her 16 day camera follow. Around the country’s municipalities, there are 17,000 very sick elderly people living at home. These are people who really need care. Many of them should be in nursing homes.

More full time will kill two birds with one stone.

In the coming years, the need for this treatment will only grow. The background is that we generally live longer and longer. Within seven years, the two magic curves will cross each other in the forecasts of Statistics Norway. Then there will be more elderly people over the age of 65 than children and youth under the age of 20. Statistics Norway also predicts that there will be a need for more than 50,000 health workers and nurses by 2040.

Erlend Svardal Bøe of Høyre is trying to capitalize on the situation politically saying that his party “has been paying attention to ensuring that the needs of nursing homes are met”. The fact is there have been 1.6 percent fewer nursing home places in the last five years under Erna Solberg’s stewardship. Therefore, the right-wing armorer had to leave very quietly through the door.

[ Lars West Johnsen: Ikke lenger så Storbritannia. ]

At the end of 2021, there are just over 39,000 nursing homes in the country. At the same time, 171,000 Norwegians are receiving treatment at home this year. Ten percent more people received such home services in the last five years.

“There is a mid-life crisis in the Norwegian healthcare system,” said union leader Mette Nord. He points out that seven out of ten healthcare workers are in part-time positions, and for many it’s less than 20 percent. Confederate leaders have good points. More full time will kill two birds with one stone. This will be good for those who need aged care and for the employees involved. The parents then have fewer people to deal with. Health professionals or nurses know the patient’s disease better.

At the same time, the confederation’s leadership used the opportunity to strike a blow for a better division of labor within the health care system. He believed that nurses could do much more than doctors do today. And health professionals and health secretaries can take over the tasks that nurses do today. This is of course a professional game. At the same time, it is important to find a reasonable solution. It should be possible if the various job groups put a few idle horses in the stables.

Elderly care is primarily the responsibility of the city. Therefore, it should be a central theme in the fall local elections. Put local politicians against the wall.

[ Kjell Werner: Nore utgjør en forskjell. ]

Always update yourself. Get the daily newsletter from Dagsavisen