Risk of mistakes in elderly care during the heat

In larger parts of the country, SMHI warns of high temperatures. Elderly people with underlying diseases are a risk group for both covid-19 and the summer heat.

In addition, the staff is getting more stressed by the heat, points out the trade union Municipality.

"If you go in to a coronary-infected caregiver, you obviously have full protective equipment on them, and working for too long with it gets way too hot," says Peter Larsson, Ombudsman at Municipal.

- The risk is that you make mistakes when it is too hot. You do not work as you usually do.

The Public Health Authority discourages fans in common rooms, but state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell points out that they can still be used in individual rooms and apartments. Instead, the municipality proposes the installation of refrigeration plants to a greater extent.

During spring and early summer, SKR, through its subsidiary, purchased protective equipment for a national warehouse for municipalities. But similar plans do not exist for refrigeration plants or cooling vests for staff.

- Should one go in and do such a procurement now, it would probably be until the summer is over before it would have given effect, says Greger Bengtsson at SKR.

Peter Larsson at Municipal believes that municipalities and authorities are taken on the bed by a combined heat wave and spread of infection.

- Honestly, I don't think you've thought about it. Or you just started doing it. I suspect that because you have had plenty of protection equipment.

Greger Bengtsson thinks the criticism is unjustified.

- Most municipalities have a plan on how to handle a heat wave, he says.

But not a heat wave that is going on at the same time as a pandemic?

- No, that's it. After all, we have not really been able to prepare for the pandemic in that way. But the efforts are broadly similar for heat waves regardless of the pandemic, he says.

But a common virus and heat wave is nevertheless alarming for SKR.

- Of course, this is a cause for concern. The combination summer, heat wave and covid-19 is of course a tough situation, but I think you are as prepared as you can be.