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Many older people in special housing in Sörmland have not received the care they are entitled to at the start of the corona pandemic. Care decisions have been made for entire groups of patients without individual evaluation, which has meant that many have been denied care or received improper care.
Palliative care has been started for the wrong reasons. The elderly and their families have not been informed or participated in the planning and execution of care. No information has been entered into patient records, making it impossible to see what care people have received. However, there are many indications that doctors have often not been involved in care decisions after the patient has been diagnosed with Covid-19.
All this is clear from the review of the Swedish Health and Care Inspectorate (IVO) that was presented on Tuesday. Criticism is harsh and affects almost all regions in charge of care. In Sörmland, IVO’s findings are in line with what the newspaper reported this spring.
Some quotes are really surprising:
“Care and treatment have been initially provided according to general guidelines. For example. “Information has emerged indicating general guidelines that patients living in special accommodations should not be sent to the hospital for care or should only receive certain types of care and treatment.”
“During an interview with the nurse, the information emerged that a decision was made about palliative care for everyone in the accommodation, regardless of the underlying disease in the early stage of the pandemic.”
“[Vid intervju med sjuksköterska framgår] that initially instructions came from the infection clinic not to send municipal housing patients with symptoms to the hospital. […] Over time, the guidelines were changed and a decision was made about palliative care for all patients with symptoms, even if the patient had not been diagnosed with the infection. “
Therefore, the elderly would not be admitted for hospital care and would not be given life-saving measures, but would instead become symptom relief of the type that occurs in the final stages of life.
This is exactly what the newspaper reported in May, with testimonials from health professionals and family members. The President of the Regional Board, Monica Johansson (S), later assured that this casual transition to palliative care does not take place in Sörmland.
– That patients and close family members participate in the discussion is essential. I have full confidence that our staff works that way, he also said.
But clearly that was not the case.
And now that IVO has come forward with its criticism, the county council administration is trying to shuffle the cards. The region has not announced any guidelines that patients in special housing do not go to hospital, states Region Sörmland on its website.
IVO’s review says otherwise. But even if, contrary to better knowledge, the region were given the right at that point, it is Monica Johansson and her colleagues who carry the weight of the explanation.
Why has Region Sörmland not fulfilled its obligations as care manager? Why has the region broken the law? Why has Sörmland’s care disappointed its most vulnerable patients?
