Fewer and fewer institutional places

The number of beds in Norwegian institutions for the elderly and handicapped was reduced by 150 from 1995 to 1996.

In 1996 around 43,700 institutional places were registered for the elderly and handicapped. This is a decline of nearly 150 beds compared to the year before. At the same time, however, the number of places in somatic nursing homes has increased, but is being offset by a greater decline in beds in old people's homes and combined old people's and nursing homes.

The change in status from old people's home and combined old people's home and nursing home to nursing home has been a pronounced trend in recent years. In 1996 beds in somatic nursing homes accounted for 56 per cent of all places in institutions for the elderly and handicapped. This is an increase of three per cent compared to 1995.

More single rooms

The number of rooms in institutions totalled slightly more than 36,800 in 1996. Of these nearly 82 per cent were single rooms, while 18 per cent were for two or more residents. Compared to 1995 there has been a modest increase in the percentage of single rooms and a corresponding decline in rooms for two or more residents. In all, 63 per cent of the rooms had a private bath or toilet, while around nine per cent had kitchen facilities.

Several municipalities offer home nursing 24 hours a day

At the end of 1996, 73 per cent of all municipalities and urban districts offered home nursing services 24 hours a day, up nine per cent compared to 1995.

At the end of 1996, 98 per cent of all municipalities and urban districts offered home nursing services every day of the week. This is a moderate increase from the year before. Seventy-three per cent of all municipalities and urban districts offered 24-hour home nursing services, an increase of nine percentage points from the year before.

More man-years in nursing and social care services

The man-year input in nursing and social care services increased by 3,900 from 1995 to 1996.

In 1996 the number of man-years worked in nursing and social care services totalled 73,700, up 5.6 per cent compared to 1995. The trend regarding the number of man-years relative to the population over 67 years of age is also pointing upwards, from 112 man-years per 1,000 residents in 1995 to 119 in 1996.

There are relatively large differences in man-year inputs per resident between various counties. Most man-years per 1,000 residents over 67 years of age were in Finnmark, with 171 man-years. By comparison, the figure for Østfold, the county with the fewest man-years per 1,000 residents over 67 years of age, was about 97 man-years. By comparing total man-years with the total number of users (the total number of recipients of home services and institutional beds), the differences between the counties are less.

New Statistics

Nursing and social care services, 1996. Final figures.
Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. More information: Åsne Vigran, tel. +47 21 09 44 86, e-mail: vig@ssb.no, Brith Sundby, tel. +47 21 09 45 49, e-mail: bsu@ssb.no, or Bjørn Gabrielsen, tel. +47 21 09 44 46, e-mail: bga@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 44, 1997