– This is an assault – news Trøndelag

– It is terribly painful. It is an assault on people, says former politician, doctor and geriatrician, Wenche Frogn Sellæg. news recently told the story of three women at Namso’s health center. All three have received Risperdal, which is a type of antipsychotic. Its use has led to serious side effects. One of these women is a former colleague of Frogn Sellæg. Together, the two of them worked for many years to reduce the use of just such medicine in Norwegian nursing homes. – It hurts when it’s unknown people, but it hurts even more when it’s people you know and remember what it was like. The former minister is very disappointed that the use of this type of medicine continues. Even 30 years ago, they saw that the use of antipsychotics was significant. Now it is her friend and former colleague who is affected by side effects of the tablets. Former minister and geriatrician Wenche Frogn Sellæg says it is painful that her former colleague is affected by severe side effects. Photo: Rita Kleven Strong meeting at the nursing home The meeting with the colleague has made a strong impression. Wenche Frogn Sellæg has visited her several times. The woman in her 60s has suffered a ninety-degree fracture in her neck. It is not possible to lift the head. The back is crooked. Treatment with Botox in the neck has so far been of no use. At the hospital, a doctor has determined that the most likely cause of the crooked neck is the Risperdal tablets. Although the woman is demented, she still remembers the effort and work they did together for many years to reduce the use of medicine. GOT A VISIT: Wenche Frogn Sellæg has visited his former colleague several times at Namso’s health centre. Photo: Private – She recognizes me, and she remembers what we worked on, says Frogn Sellæg. They were both impressed by what they saw at the time: Dementia patients strongly affected by the medication they were given. – We saw hunched bodies that walked bent forward. They tripped and fell. Their faces were blank, they often walked with their mouths open and their tongues sticking out. Frogn Sellæg believes that it is possible to see from a distance whether older people are using antipsychotics. – I don’t understand that it can still happen. There is a lot of research here. So it continues anyway. I think it’s a lack of knowledge and often there can be a lack of staff so they can’t do the right things. I don’t understand that it continues. news has said that there is still a lot of use of these tablets in Norwegian nursing homes. This is shown by random samples and studies. A study from 2020 showed that 19 percent of nursing home residents with dementia were given antipsychotics, and the use of the tablets continues over time for some of them. The former doctor and geriatrician, Wenche Frogn Sellæg, is very keen to reduce the use of medicine in nursing homes. She still travels around to speak on the subject. She believes that elderly people with dementia tolerate this medication poorly, and calls it a heavy psychiatric medication. Frogn Sellæg, on the other hand, likes what she sees at the nursing home in Grong in Trøndelag. There they use less medicine. – It is highly possible. Most people manage without such medicine. Often it is only a matter of a short time, then the unrest is over, she says. Wenche Frogn Sellæg likes what she sees at the nursing home in Grong. Dementia coordinator Merete Fuglum wants the least possible use of antipsychotics. Photo: Rita Kleven They hardly use medicine here – We strive to use as little medicine as possible, says dementia coordinator Merete Fuglum at the nursing home in Grong. Nevertheless, they also sometimes have to use antipsychotics for a short period to calm down, before they start time environmental therapeutic measures. – It’s about getting as calm an atmosphere as possible. We secure the resident and gain trust, and have the knowledge of each individual that is required to do a good job, says Fuglum. She says that it means a lot to have enough employees for everything that needs to be done. Quiet surroundings and a card game provide well-being and tranquility for patients with dementia at the nursing home in Grong. From the left, dementia coordinator, Merete Fuglum. Photo: Rita Kleven Should have stood on the barricades again Wenche Frogn Sellæg has been retired for many years. But she has had an active political career as Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of Justice and Minister of Environmental Protection. When this matter comes up, she wishes she could do more. – I am surrendered and in despair. I wish I was 30 years younger and could really stand on the barricades. Do something about this again. Little by little, I still have hope that the knowledge will get through, so that those who are responsible for old people do what is right. Mayor understands reactions Mayor Frode Båtnes (Ap) in Namsos municipality does not rule out the municipality going through its medical routines in nursing homes. – It will be relevant if it turns out that our routines are not good enough, or that they have not been followed up. I think it is fortunate that the State Administrator has opened an inspection in these cases, and when the conclusion is reached I am confident that the municipality will follow professional advice. He understands that there is a reaction. – I understand that close people react to negative developments in friends and acquaintances, where you are convinced that this could have been avoided and stopped earlier. Mayor of Namsos, Frode Båtnes, thinks it is good that the State Administrator has opened an inspection. Photo: Espen Sandmo / news



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