To the plot trump all?

Since the 12. march, Norway has been strongly characterized by the effort to prevent that covid-19-the pandemic is spreading, with the abandonment of large parts of society. Now open it gradually again. The kids are back in school, more are back at work and eating places can be left by food and drink.

But for some will exceptions last a long time. Authorities have said that smitteverntiltak with hand washing and social distance can be both one and two years.

Now defer again open for visits, and there is a possibility to make "local reviews about the touch", but "close face-to-face-contact" should preferably be avoided. A general rule about a metre distance still applies.

It is good with more room for discretion, but in the utmost consequence, it is still so that a part of the 40 000 who lived in a nursing home 12. mars in 2020 will leave life without ever again get a hug from a child or feel the heat in your hand from the livspartneren. They will not get touching someone they love before they die.

Experience both from Norway and other countries shows how dangerous it is with covid-19 infection in nursing homes, where patients are frail and have little resistance if they become infected.

Over half of those who have died in Norway are just people in a nursing home. About 80 percent of those living in nursing homes have dementia. They do not have the ability to understand and follow smittevernstiltakene yourself, and they will have difficulty to understand the measures taken, such as restraining orders.

Nasjonalforeningen for public health was a clear driving force to get closed nursing homes for visits, to protect. But we have also been clear that now is the time to facilitate social contact again.

Many families have been in contact with us and told about the consequences of the lack of contact. It hurts for the one who is sick and does not understand why no one comes, and it is painful for the one who not get get.

With more control on the infection in the community, it is good that there now is to facilitate that people can meet in a safe way. Several nursing home can now arrange for meetings between relatives and the sick. The possibilities for how it can be done are many.

important is to see bodies and their needs and opportunities. We need to get to the customization that makes that people get to have contact on a meaningful and good way, and that address the specific needs of the old with dementia. Sufficient and qualified personnel is critical to get it right.

The difficult dilemma is that the infection can get into a nursing home and affect other residents and staff. No one wants to infect others, and it is a matter of course that the relatives stay at home if they have symptoms.

But it must be possible to create systems, for example, with testing, that make visits safer.

at the same time we need to take a debate about which considerations should be put first. To the plot trump all? About sykehjemsbeboer and the partner is older and will take the risk, should it be allowed for people who have lived life together and also get to keep the physical contact in life's final months.

Relatives who are not in at-risk groups must get to choose to take the chance to be near, to comfort and be there for a loved mother or grandmother.

Given the choice would probably many selected risk for infection rather than loneliness. For those who have a short life left don't have time to wait on the vaccine. They need near to their loved ones now.

Want to discuss?