The number of people over 80 will increase by 30 percent until 2030, which will place ever greater demands on relatives. One who has experience of this is Gunilla Nordberg, who cared for her mother at home for 13 years.
It was in the villa at home on Tjörn that Gunilla, with the help of her husband, cared for her mother Kerstin for 13 years until her death last year. At first, the 77-year-old mother was cheerful, but when Kerstin got worse and they applied for assisted living, there were no vacancies.
– It had its joys too, I won’t deny that, when I made my mother laugh and such. But it was also hard, really hard. Just knowing that you are doing the right thing. That I have responsibility for another person here, even if it is my mother. I don’t regret it for a second, but today I wouldn’t have done it again, says Gunilla Nordberg.
When even home health care, which had been a security and relief, was withdrawn without Gunilla receiving any explanation, it became tough.
Felt very alone
– Am I giving her the right food, is it nutritious enough? Can someone come and weigh her so I have some idea of her weight? You are very, very alone. Terribly lonely, says Gunilla Nordberg.
The proportion of elderly people in Sweden is growing rapidly. Already in six years, those who are 80 or older are expected to have grown from today’s approximately 580,000 to 800,000 people. A development that worries elderly researcher Ingmar Skoog, who calls for political action.
– This will mean that more and more people will have to help their parents in a completely different way than before. Or if you don’t have children or grandchildren, you may suffer alone at home. I think the problem is so big that you can’t bear to discuss it. I think the national politicians are trying to push it onto the municipalities. I think it is a big betrayal of today’s politicians not to discuss, how do we solve this, says elderly researcher Ingmar Skoog.
The municipalities must act
An opinion that Gunilla Nordberg shares.
– I mean that the municipalities must act. They should have acted a long time ago. But they only say that they have intended to build a residence here or there. But it does not help. In a thought no one can live. I think this will be a huge problem, says Gunilla Nordberg.