Elderly care case dragging on

The Prime Minister and at least three other ministers are expected to visit Suðuroy for a meeting with the cash-strapped Residential Care Service.

Last year, the service threatened to relinquish responsibility for elderly care on the island due to financial restrictions.

The service sent a statement to four ministers, including the Prime Minister, outlining its dire situation and requesting a special arrangement for elderly care on the island, similar to the one recently implemented in Sandoy.

No basis for a new system

This request was turned down by Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen, who said that after extensive investigations into how the island’s elderly care affects the general financial situation, there is no basis for an immediate change to the current system.

The Prime Minister’s letter to the Residential Care Service read:

"The income basis in Suðuroy is lower than elsewhere in the country, but this is not the result of transferring elderly care services to the local authorities."

"On the contrary, the government believes that Suðuroy has a fair ratio between public funding and the number of 67+ citizens, compared with the rest of the country.”

Second meeting overdue

The two parties met in January, and a second meeting was scheduled for early February.

But Dennis Holm, mayor of Vágur and chairman of the board at the Residential Care Service, says that even after several reminders from the service, they are still awaiting an invitation to a second meeting.

Translated by prosa.fo