– What we saw in that documentary is, in my opinion, an unjustifiable service. There is no doubt about that. We can’t have it that way. We all agree, cross-party, that we must find the cause of this here. That’s what Per Manvik from the Progress Party says. He is a member of the committee for health, care and coping in Larvik municipality. Per Manvik, FRP politician. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news He is supported by deputy mayor Rune Høiseth from the Labor Party, who heads the committee. – What emerged in the Brennpunkt episode is objectionable and not acceptable. It was painful to watch, says Høiseth. Deputy mayor Rune Høiseth from the Labor Party. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news Indecent incidents experienced news was in contact with two families who experienced indecent incidents at Furuheim nursing home. The family of an 87-year-old woman complained to the nursing home about the treatment she received, without experiencing improvement. After filming in the woman’s room for three weeks, news was able to reveal: She usually gets a new diaper twice a day. Sometimes a whole day passes between shifts. Another time it gets 17 hours. Five times the woman is put to bed between 4 and 5 p.m., even though she is entitled to a normal circadian rhythm. On these days, she spends an average of 16 hours in bed. On the other evenings, she is put to bed at around 7pm. In one case, it appears that the woman is reluctantly forced into bed by three carers. The journal states that she was “followed to bed”. The family says she has no coercive decision. We see that the woman gets her teeth brushed once during these three weeks. Although the 87-year-old will have help with meals, she often eats alone in her room. She often throws her food in the toilet. The woman is, so to speak, never out in the common areas with the other residents and receives little stimulation. This is despite the fact that the nursing home is certified as Life Joy Home. We also see employees who provide good and caring care. The 87-year-old lies in bed and eats. Photo: news Read the response from the municipal manager in Larvik here – When you see it the way news has portrayed it, it doesn’t look good, says the municipal manager in Larvik, Guro Winsvold, after seeing the hidden camera clips. She has been clear from the outset that parts of what emerges will be reviewed internally. – It may appear to some that these shifts and places come very rarely. Lying for 16-18 hours as you have documented sounds like a long time, says Winsvold. The municipal manager says she needs more information about the context in which these episodes occur, in order to make a statement about them. She explains that coercion can happen when people lose the ability to take care of themselves. But it is clear that there must then be a compulsory decision. She adds that she often meets employees at Furuheim, and that she does not recognize herself in the descriptions in the programme. Via the municipality, the employees of the relevant department comment, on a general basis, that they believe the documentary paints an unvarnished picture of the conditions at Furuheim. – Must be allowed to speak freely At the committee meeting on Wednesday, the politicians were informed that the municipal director has asked the State Administrator to carry out an inspection of Furuheim nursing home. It was Østlands-Posten that first mentioned this. In addition, there will be an internal system audit of the nursing home. – It is not right for the municipality to investigate itself. That is why it is good that the State Administrator should also come in, says Manvik to news, adding that the politicians were unanimous in their criticism. It is the State Administrator who oversees the municipalities, but county doctor Sigmund Skei says that this type of inquiry is unusual. Sigmund Skei, county doctor in Vestfold and Telemark. Photo: Theodor Aasland Valen / news – It is unusual for municipalities to ask for an inspection in this way, but because of the media cases that have been, they want assistance from us, says Skei. The whistleblower herself, assistant nurse Elisabeth Andersson, came forward, saying she is happy that the municipality has launched an investigation. – At the same time, it’s a little sad that it had to go this far when it might have been enough to put in a little more staff, she says. She previously reported anonymously in the local newspaper Østlands-Posten, but came forward with her name in the Brennpunkt episode on Wednesday. – I’m a little afraid of what my colleagues and my manager think of me, she says when news meets her the day after the program was shown on TV. Andersson says that she has previously written several deviations, but found that it did not help. NOTIFICATIONS: Elisabeth Andersson is a nursing assistant at Furuheim nursing home in Larvik. She says that she has received a lot of support from former colleagues and relatives after she came forward in Brennpunkt as a whistleblower. Photo: Rune A. Hansen / news – Now we know how bad it can be. Manvik thinks it’s good that the treatment one patient received was filmed with a hidden camera. – How else would we have known that everything was not as it should be if news had not exposed this sequence here? asks the FRP politician and continues: – Now we know how bad it can be. Then we politicians must also do something, not just the administration. There is cross-party agreement that we should, says Manvik. – What can you do? – The problem probably lies in insufficient staffing. There is not enough money, so here we have to reprioritise. Another problem is that there are not enough nurses. He clarifies that employees must be allowed to speak freely when inspections are carried out. – We depend on everyone being open about what they experience in elderly care, so that we can find out what the problem is. No one must feel threatened if they report or speak up, says Manvik. Høiseth praises employees who dare to speak up. – We must have a culture of openness. It is only then that we can manage to get something done with these things. At the same time, we must not forget that a lot of good care also takes place, he says.
ttn-69
No one must feel threatened if they report – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
