React to lack of information – NRK Norway – Summary of news from different parts of the country

In two weeks, 9 of the 23 crown-infected residents at Villa Skaar Valstad in Eidsvoll have lost their lives.

On Wednesday night, it emerged that the Oslo County Governor and Viken are opening a case of supervision at the nursing home.

The supervisory case is established after the Norwegian Health Supervision Board decided to hand over the case on a supervisory basis to the county governor. This was stated by the communications director, Nina Vedholm, of the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision, to NRK.

Earlier Wednesday, city chief physician Carl Magnus Jensen and employees of the National Institute of Public Health were at the nursing home to investigate the conditions. Jensen has also reported the outbreak to the Norwegian Board of Health.

It says the warning was issued because of the dire situation, not because of suspicions of objectionable conditions.

In addition to Jensen’s notification, the Norwegian Board of Health received a notification from a surrogate in the nursing home about a possible violation of the Infection Control Act, according to VG.

I haven’t even received my condolences

One of those who died after the outbreak at the nursing home was Tone Winnem’s mother.

Winnem recounted last week about the surreal situation he was in when his mother passed away. He then said goodbye to his mother in a room where everyone was wearing infection control suits.

She describes the crown as a terrible way to lose someone:

– Mom was older and had Alzheimer’s, but she was human. And that wasn’t how she was destined to die, Winnem says.

Now Winnem criticizes the management of Villa Skaar Valstad for lack of information after the death of the mother.

– Of course I feel a little frustrated and very moved and a little angry, because I have had – and have given – the impression that everything is as it should be. It was so good to believe it, and when you read about a warning you get a little angry. “Isn’t that what they told me?” It is a bit painful to feel.

It is Winnem’s brother who is the first relative. Thus, it is he who receives the phone calls and information from the nursing home.

Requires an apology if a mistake has been made

– But I know that no one, not him or the rest of us, has received a single phone call after his death. There has been no follow-up on how we are doing, and no condolences. Nothing. So the least had been to offer condolences. Just to feel a little cared for that way, I think we deserve it, Winnem tells NRK.

City Chief Medical Officer Carl Magnus Jensen said Wednesday that no conditions were disclosed after today’s visit that would necessitate emergency measures at the nursing home.

Winnem doesn’t know what to believe. She hopes it is true that no mistakes were made in the nursing home:

– You become insecure. I hope nothing wrong was done, but you get very insecure. I think: why would a healthcare professional come up with a warning if there is nothing in it?

– If it turns out that something has been done wrong, I expect an apology, he says.

The Norwegian Board of Sanitary Supervision confirms to NRK that they have received notifications related to Villa Skaar Valstad.

– The most important priority is to guarantee the life and health of the residents.

Villa Skaar Managing Director Richard Skaar Thorsrud said in an interview with NRK on Wednesday that he himself has asked that the situation at the nursing home be evaluated by professionals.

Following the interview, NRK has asked the director to respond to criticism from family members about the lack of information.

In an email to NRK, Skaar Thorsrud does not respond directly to Winnem’s criticism.

“Our highest priority now is ensuring the lives and health of residents, as well as keeping track of our employees and family members who naturally have difficult days,” writes Skaar Thorsrud.

Otherwise, it refers to today’s interview with NRK and other information on the municipality’s website.

On Friday, the CEO posted a message about the nursing home’s internal message system.

In the report, which NRK has seen, the director rejects VG’s case according to which Villa Skaar is said to have used an employee who has another employer after he was diagnosed with an infection in the nursing home.

Representatives sound the alarm

When asked about the message, Skaar Thorsrud says he cannot go into all the details of the case. He also points out that he himself has taken the initiative for FHI to go to the nursing home, and that he is sure that the case should be evaluated by professionals.

Both the municipal chief doctor and the mayor of Eidsvoll, John-Eirik Vika (Sp), have expressed their concern to VG that the outbreak of infection in the municipality may be related to employee turnover in the workplace.

Gørild Tidem, Vice President and Chief Steward of the Eidsvoll Union, shares that concern.

– Now we want the municipality and private health trusts to be better at advertising 100 percent positions. Then people are paid to live where they work and they don’t have to work across the board, so we avoid cross contamination. It’s also important to increase core staff, because then you’re not so reliant on hiring substitutes for sick and vacation time, says Tidem.

Health Minister Bent Høie says he understands that it is demanding for municipalities to avoid such rotation. But he still has it clear:

– It shouldn’t happen now. It is also part of the guidelines that emerged very early in the pandemic. That municipalities should limit it and preferably avoid it being the type of rotation, Høie tells NRK.