The case in summary • ME sufferer Aurora Leigh Kobernus was placed in a nursing home against her will. • The Oslo politicians have now decided that young people with a chronic illness should not be placed in a nursing home or another institution against their will. • Geir Lippestad in the Center party was behind the proposal and promises to follow up on the decision. • The Joint Organization of the Disabled (FFO) is pleased with the decision and hopes that other municipalities will follow Oslo’s example. • Aurora now lives in her own home with full-time user-directed personal assistance (BPA). The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – All those who helped me and all those before who have fought for this for several decades have won a small victory now. That is what ME sufferer Aurora Leigh Kobernus (26) says in an e-mail to news. She was forcibly placed in a nursing home against her will. – I get sicker from being here, and I get sicker from not getting the right help, Aurora told news at the time. The story of Aurora created great interest. And led to a united opposition in Oslo city council asking the then health council to intervene. The politicians have now decided that no young person with a chronic illness should be placed in a nursing home or another institution against their will. – An eye-opener Aurora believes her case was an eye-opener for many. – It put a spotlight on a very underfunded and broken system with pitfalls so big that they could swallow a whole person and not let them out again. – Like myself. She is happy about the decision the Oslo politicians have now made. – It makes me feel a little safer that this will not happen again, neither to me nor to anyone else. She hopes many will now get the help they need. – There are alternatives if the municipality and the districts finally start to realize that health care and care through, among other things, BPA can and should be offered around the clock to those who need it. – Investing in my own and other people’s young health is a boost for our lives and opportunities, but also for our relatives. This is how Aurora’s friends remember her from high school. A cheerful girl with a burning commitment, sense of justice and blue hair. Photo: Privat This is how Aurora’s friends remember her from high school. A cheerful girl with a burning commitment, sense of justice and blue hair. Photo: Privat Privilegert Aurora describes the time at Ullern health center as painful. At the same time, she believes that she has been privileged. – I was given the opportunity to get a lawyer and relatives who barely managed to get me out of the situation and got me BPA around the clock. She therefore feels a responsibility to ensure that the decision is followed up. – I will never get these years of my life back and may never be able to reverse the damage that happened. – Means something to me personally It was Geir Lippestad in the Sentrum party who was behind the proposal. – These are basically basic human rights. Now those concerned will be given the opportunity to choose. Geir Lippestad is leader of the party Sentrum and sits on the city council in Oslo. Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB – We know that in Oslo municipality there are 15-20 young people with chronic diseases living against their will in a nursing home. – And then we know that there are large dark figures. The story of Aurora has had an impact on his proposal. It also has his own story with a daughter, with severe muscle disease who died 11 years ago. – So this means something to me personally. According to Lippestad, Oslo municipality is now working to improve the BPA scheme so that more people can get good help at home. – That is probably a key for this to be very good. And he promises to follow up on the decision. – The Center Party will be on the heels of the health council all the time and insist that we get good guidelines now. – So that people can live at home, manage themselves and also function better at work and school when you have practical assistance. Hope other municipalities will follow suit. They are happy about the decision Oslo municipality has now made. – It will hopefully contribute to change, by increasing awareness in the municipality about this, and better ensure that it does not happen, says Berit Therese Larsen in FFO. They do not know of other municipalities that have made similar decisions and doubt that it is common. – Oslo municipality leads here with a good example. We hope that other municipalities follow Oslo’s example and do the same. Berit Therese Larsen is interest policy leader in the Funksjonshemmedes Fellesorganisation (FFO). Photo: Lars Opstad She believes it is important that the municipality must come up with a real alternative so that it is more than a paper decision. Like getting services at home. Arrange for this if necessary. Rehabilitation for a period at home or in an institution to be able to manage as much as possible even without help, and that it should be easier to be granted user-controlled personal assistance. (BPA). – It can be the difference between being able to live an independent and fulfilling life, go to school or work, and be with friends and pursue your leisure interests. – The alternative would be to lie at home in bed and wait for the home service to have time to come by. Aurora waits to cheer Aurora says she will wait a bit to let loose the cheers over the decision. Until she sees it in practice. – We know that the decision works when the number of people receiving BPA and more services increases. – That more people get an individual plan. That more people get an increased number of hours of BPA and home nursing without having to complain to the State Administrator. She hopes the decision will be followed up with inspections and reports. Early last summer, Aurora’s stay at Ullern health center was over. After more than a year and three months in the health center, she got help from friends and got out. She says that today she lives in her own home and has BPA full-time. – It means that I have a future again. Aurora Leigh Kobernus finds that she can now tolerate a little red light, lying in her room at home. She can avoid using an eye mask when she can regulate the amount of light herself. Photo: Privat She hopes that the municipality will now do everything it can to provide equal opportunities for all young sick and disabled people throughout Oslo. And she has ambitions. – When one fine day I am well enough, I will follow up the fight further in the town hall, says Aurora. Hi Did you get any thoughts while reading this article? Feel free to send me an e-mail! I have previously written, among other things: Do you have any tips for other matters I should look into? I treat all information confidentially. Feel free to contact me! Published 11.06.2024, at 12.57 Updated 11.06.2024, at 13.08
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No young person in Oslo with a chronic illness should be placed in a nursing home against their will – Greater Oslo
