In a report on the situation of elderly care in the municipality, 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.

– It’s serious, said Johnsen Address Log.

In a report to the municipality of Trondheim, the ombudsman for health, care and education tells how the elderly do not receive the help and follow-up they should have. Last year, the ombudsman received 355 complaints of failure, 60 of which concerned the reception conditions for the elderly.

Many of the complaints were about undignified situations due to understaffing.

– It is consistent that the rehabilitation potential and primary needs of the patient are not being met, writes Johnsen in the report.

Some of the messages that were sent to the representative are reproduced anonymously in the annual report. Descriptions include elderly people in need of help who do not receive help when called, patients who are asked to pee in diapers instead of being helped to the toilet, and diapers that are not changed until several hours later.

The ombudsman is clear that the situation says nothing about the general state of elderly care in the municipality, and most people receive good treatment in elderly care. Nevertheless, the ombudsman describes the situation of understaffing and low competence as a general problem in the city’s retirement homes.

Health and welfare director Wenche Dehli in Trondheim said she would wait to comment on the report until it was presented for political scrutiny.

(© NTB)