- Even though most of the restrictions in society are gone now, we must not think that the danger is over, says Camilla Lindquist.
As head of Torpdalen, she can take some of the credit for not a single resident being infected by covid-19 during the pandemic, despite the fact that Karlskoga has been far from spared from infection.
But now she is still a little worried, reports come from nursing homes around the country where old people have fallen ill and are dying despite being vaccinated.
Visitors must call
Since mid-September, the Swedish Public Health Agency has seen a clear increase in infection at SÄBO (special housing, especially elderly housing).
During week 39, 109 cases were reported.
During the summer, there were only a few isolated cases each week.
Deaths have also increased.
- The danger lies and puffs one in the heels.
The last thing we want is for the infection to come in here, says care assistant Åsa Karlström.
Still, you feel pretty safe with the routines you introduced already in January 2020. Today, of course, the elderly can receive visits, but it is not as before.
It's not just about stepping straight in.
A visitor must call and be guided by staff via hand washing and mouth protection.
Full-time secure equipment
The fact that they acted early, several months before the spread of the infection was classified as a pandemic, is seen in Torpdalen as the explanation for their success.
An example is that a person in the municipality had to work full time vacuuming the market for protective equipment.
Another success factor is language training of staff who do not have Swedish as their mother tongue.
The care assistant Åsa Karlström got a key role as a language representative where she went through all the new routines with her colleagues.
- I have seen how much misunderstanding there can be about different things if you can not communicate, she says.