Suðuroy’s elderly care in jeopardy

The Residential Care Service in Suðuroy is unable to fulfil all its statutory duties.

The service, which is the municipal collaboration for elderly care in Suðuroy, recently sent a statement to four ministers, including the Prime Minister, outlining its dire financial situation.

The letter, written by the management and dated 18 April, reads: “The Residential Care Service is unable to carry out its statutory duties. We cannot afford rotating night watch systems and we cannot provide an equal service to all citizens in Suðuroy.”

Elsewhere it says: “Our financial situation is unbearable. We have yet to complete our annual accounts for 2017 due to financial constraints beyond our control. The first quarter of 2018 has now passed and is becoming ever clearer that we cannot continue to function under the current financial constraints.”

At a meeting with ministers in January, the management of the Residential Care Service issued an ultimatum: “Either the grant to our municipal elderly care services is significantly increased or the government has to take over.”

The Residential Care Service management says that since neither of these options have yet been considered, they have no choice but to threaten to relinquish responsibility for elderly care in Suðuroy.

The letter concludes: “If a final solution to the financial problems concerning elderly care in Suðuroy is not reached by 18 May 2018, we can no longer be held responsible for elderly care services on the island.”

Translated by prosa.fo