Nurses suffer from elderly patients who drink too much

Elderly people in Norway care for the elderlyElderly. Photo: pixabay.com

Four out of five nurses in home care and home nursing, said in a survey that they had experienced patients with addictions, who made the nurses more exposed to violence and threats.

Of those who told of patients with alcohol problems, a third said that they had experienced aggression and threats, or violence.

A fourth of those questioned, reported unwanted sexual advances, wrote Dagsavisen newspaper.

859 employees in home care, and in nursing homes, in Norway participated in the survey, which was conducted by the drug rehabilitation
cooperative body, Actis.

‘Unfortunately, a number of our members experience threats, violence and physical advances, which is also the case in the care sector.
In some cases, addiction is part of the problem’, said Deputy, Iren Luther, in the Fagforbundet section for health and social life.

Both she and Sykepleierforbundet (the Nurses Union) have called for more knowledge about the impact of alcohol on elderly people.
They are supported by Actis-elder, Mina Gerhardsen.

‘It is essential that those who work closely with the elderly, and see them every day, have the skills and confidence they need to identify those
who are struggling with addictions.

Health workers need to know what to look for, how to manage it, and how to follow up if the older person is drinking too much’, said Gerhardsen.

 

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today