Concern among staff at senior housing

The number of elderly people suffering from corona is increasing. It is the group that is hardest hit. At the same time, there will be reports that hundreds of people have been infected in elderly homes.

- One resident expressed that he is terrified of getting corona. He has high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and allergies. He is really at risk. And then I said that we do what we can to minimize the risk, ”says Maria Placonà, a nurse at a nursing home affected by the infection.

She says there is plenty of protective equipment at that accommodation. Contrary to what many others in healthcare have said.

- It's full mouth with glasses, gloves, long sleeves, apron, mouthguard - everything. We have no shortage of hand spirit that people have read about, and we have toilet paper, she laughs.

The precautions on the accommodation are many, according to Maria Placonà. Those with confirmed coronary infection are treated by the same staff, who in turn do not treat other patients. But she is aware that the risk that she herself will be infected still exists.

- After all, I have chosen this profession, then you have to take the bad with the good. You have chosen it for a reason, because you want to take care of people.

But it doesn't look the same everywhere. There have been many reports of lack of protective equipment. Amy Pettersson, who also works at a corona-affected elderly home, knows exactly what it means.

- People don't really know what to do. We've got a mouthguard where we should use all day, but it's not even the right kind of mouthguard, after 24 minutes it starts dropping particles, she says.

In the beginning, they didn't even wear long sleeves or aprons. In the end, they got hold of an apron, but they have to wash it off to be able to reuse.

It started with a patient who tested positive for corona. But the housing did not receive more tests to test those who were without symptoms. Instead, the number gradually increased.

- Then two positive answers came, then two more, and so on, she says.

- What we hope for is that the staff will get sick in different rounds, so that there is someone who can work. Because it doesn't feel like it's a matter of getting sick, but rather when.