Institutional care for older people — the dark side
| Published date | 01 May 2001 |
| Pages | 32-41 |
| Date | 01 May 2001 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200100012 |
| Author | Olaug Juklestad |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
key words
elder abuse
institutions
Norway
management
respectful care
restraint
abstract
This paper looks at abuse of
older people in institutions in
Norway,using information and
insights drawn from the author’s
own practice,newspaper articles
and investigations carried out in
nursing homes in 1994, 1999 and
2000. From these sources it is
apparent that the use of force is
widespread, although there is no
legal basis for this. How Norway is
responding to this worrying
situation is examined.
Policy and practice overview
32 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited The Journal of Adult Protection Volume 3 Issue 2 • May 2001
Introduction
In the Norwegian media, reports in recent months concerning
deficient care in nursing homes have shocked many people.
Examples include:
■residents being locked inside a home during an entire
summer
■some people have had to share the shower, while others
use the toilet in the same room
■in some homes, married couples are not allowed to live
together
■some institutions have ‘bed-days’ when residents are selected
to stay in bed to lessen the workload on staff
■an 83-year-old woman was raped at night by a supply
nurse. She died shortly afterwards.
Issues relating to institutional abuse have been raised
elsewhere (Clough, 1996, 1999; Glendenning, 1999a, 1999b)
and will not be repeated here. The focus here is on the
Norwegian context. There are three recent studies in particu-
lar that have taken place in Norway concerning institutional
abuse. These have ignited the media debate and I will refer
mainly to them in this paper.
The first study is a survey of a representative selection of
Norwegian nursing homes. The second is a recent study on
abuse against older people in need of care, based on in-depth
interviews with nurses (state enrolled nurses or SENs) and
care assistants in a number of nursing homes. The third study
covers a recent report of an investigation to establish the
extent of the use of physical restraint, the compulsory use of
medicines, electronic monitoring and the limitation of rights
of people suffering from dementia who live in community-run
Institutional care for older
people – the dark side
Olaug Nesje Juklestad
Senior Adviser, National Centre for
Information and Studies on Violence, Oslo
University College
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