How does it sound from Denmark’s second-largest ældreorganisation, Professional Seniors, after that it is come to be coronasmitten has spread to elder care and nursing homes across the country.
“There has simply not been done enough,” says the organisation’s director, Palle Jensen, and adds:
“Already for several weeks ago poured in with requests from staff in the elderly care sector and in nursing homes, who were uncomfortable with the situation, because they did not have access to to be tested.”
Since then, the authorities have changed the test strategy for the coronavirus, so that staff in the care of older people can be tested, even if they ‘only’ has mild symptoms.
But nor does it seem one of the Professional Seniors, are satisfactory. The organization, which has 230.000 members, shows that older people are facing a whole new issue, when the gradual reopening of Denmark begins.
Although plejehjemmene enough not to open as the first, pointing the director, nevertheless, that the risk of spread of infection among the elderly can increase significantly.
“With a re-opening, we are in a situation where everyone comes in contact with more people, and when we then come to the time where the nursing home re-opened, so you with different security measures can visit his relatives, giving it a huge increased the risk of exposing older at the Danish nursing homes for infection,” says Palle Smed.
Therefore, Professional Seniors, to all citizens who have or have had symptoms, to have access to be tested.
“Right now there are still restrictions on who can be tested, but as long as we don’t know who is infected and who is not, we come not to re-open Denmark in security,” says the director.
He points out that the authorities – instead of saying ‘it can’t be done’ – should make a plan for how you can test the many more, than they do at present.
For as the director, the hypothetical asks the question: “Who dare to visit the older members of the family, if there is a possibility that you have been infected with coronavirus? It is an unfair situation to put us in.”
A count, as DR has made, shows that coronasmitten has hit the nursing home and the care of older people in at least 35 out of the 98 municipalities of denmark.
Among other things, in the Commune of Frederiksberg are six citizens in the care of the elderly died with the coronasmitte, while the figure in the city of Copenhagen is 11.
Also at care centers in Roskilde, a popular tourist attraction and in Brønderslev, there are outbreaks with many infected.
