Solberg wants to diminish disparities between nursing homes
Prime Minister Erna Solberg is well underway with the election campaign. The Conservatives now wish to introduce a “security standard” to diminish the disparities between Norwegian nursing homes.
Norwegian residents have the same rights to health and care services regardless of their postal address, but the municipal differences are very large, according to a survey from the Norwegian Directorate of Health.
“There is too much variation in the quality of nursing homes. We will, therefore, introduce a security standard. The standard entails creating awareness about how one works with activity, nutrition and care in the nursing homes of Norway,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg (Conservatives) tells NTB.
The Prime Minister is on a three-day tour of Eastern Norway. Her promise comes in connection with an election campaign visit to Greverud Nursing Home in Oppegård municipality.
Local ownership
The security standard is a common framework tool for nursing homes and municipalities. It regards developing standards for activity, nutrition, relief treatment and end-of-life care.
The Conservatives are entering campaign mode with introducing security standard across Norway, based on feedback from a pilot project. The concept is tried out in Tromsø, Sortland, Kristiansund and Eidskog.
“It is a way of working, where you become more aware of what to do in different situations. An example is my mother who died in a nursing home a few years ago. There the standard was that persons who are in the final phase of life should never die alone. This is achieved by bringing in extra resources if there is no one on duty,” Solberg explains.
She emphasises that local ownership is important – something she has received much input on during her round trip of Eastern Norway. On Thursday she met, among others, with the Youth Aid in Lier. She was also privately briefed on the status of the police reform by the Southeast Police District in Tønsberg.
“It’s nice to meet with people. It is also useful to meet local politicians who provide important contributions to the local election campaign,” Solberg continues.
Remote-controlled racing car
The Prime Minister also visited Blomsterenga Kindergarten in Spydeberg. She also got to steer a remote-controlled racing car – instructed by former rally world champion Petter Solberg. Solberg revealed that he won his first race car title in the Norwegian championships in 1987.
After the Østfold visit, she rushed to a “question hour” for children in the Eidsvolls building, together with Parliamentary President Tone Trøen (Conservatives).
“It was very nice. They were well prepared, even though it was the last day before the summer holidays. They were concerned with both the big and small issues,” Solberg smiles.
She was asked about everything from war, pollution, school food, and the age-old classic: “Why do we have to attend school?”.
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Solberg is not ashamed of flying
The Prime Minister started the Friday by visiting NRK’s radio program “the Political Quarter”. There Solberg informs that even she flies on vacation this summer – completely without shame.
“I believe that it is important that we also consider that we can achieve our goals without having a bad conscience for enjoying a holiday,” Solberg asserts. She believes that it must be allowed to fly when you come from a cold and elongated country such as Norway.
The Prime Minister was also asked whether more state funding could be the answer to the road tolls rebellion that is spreading like wildfire.
“It may be an answer, but that entails that it comes at the expense of something else we have agreed to implement,” Solberg answers. She highlights that the four parties are working on a solution, without going into details about how that is done.
Prime Minister Solberg’s tour ends at Jaren in the municipality of Gran (Oppland) on Saturday.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
