Care services
Each municipality must provide services to those who are not able to care for themselves and who depend upon practical or personal assistance in order to tackle everyday tasks, as well as to those who have special needs. Such assistance may be needed as a result of illness, disability or age, or for other reasons.
The government authorities have adopted the “Care Plan 2015”, which proposes long-term strategies and measures to ensure good public services for the elderly population and for those requiring care. The most important focus areas are: increasing the number of employees in the care services; building knowledge; improving co-operation; ensuring more medical follow-ups; enhancing research and quality development; promoting active care policies with a focus on cultural and social measures; and developing partnerships with families and local communities.
The County Governor must be a driving force in encouraging municipalities to put care services on the agenda in order to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
There are a number of types of care services
Individual assistance may take the form of advice and guidance, home care, community care nursing, personal assistance or other forms of practical support, personal support and financial relief or payments for carers who must cope with particularly burdensome care demands.
Sheltered housing is not a care service
The allocation of sheltered housing does not have its basis in the Health and Care Services Act, and should therefore be viewed as equivalent to an ordinary rented home. The municipality can nevertheless provide services and assistance to those who are not able to look after themselves and who reside in such housing, much in the same way as it does to those who live in ordinary homes.
Complaints about care services
You can complain if you believe that you are not receiving the care services to which you are entitled, or if you disagree with the municipality’s assessment of your needs. You should send your complaint to the municipality so that the person or body that made the disputed decision has the chance to change their position. If your complaint is not upheld, it will be forwarded on to the County Governor for a final decision. In one of the links to the right, you can find more information on how to complain about health and care services.