Home care worker faces overwhelming pressure in Kaas, Denmark due to budget cuts in Jammerbugt Municipality

In Kaas, Northern Jutland, home care worker Rikke Dalsgaard faces a demanding schedule as she assists elderly patients with tasks such as eating, bathing, administering medication, and changing diapers. Time is tight, and often, Dalsgaard finds herself rushing between appointments.

“We have to be at the next place almost before we’re done with the first,” she explains. “We skip breaks and end up eating in our cars. It’s hardly safe to eat a salad while driving.”

The pressure is so intense that some of her colleagues have resorted to changing hygiene products in their vehicles because they can’t make it to a restroom in time.

According to FOA Nordjylland, recent budget cuts in Jammerbugt Municipality have contributed to this challenging work environment, forcing home care workers to operate at an unsustainable pace. The union has recorded that four home care workers have resigned in recent months, and at least ten have taken sick leave due to the workload.

Jesper Hermansen, the sector head for social and health affairs at FOA Nordjylland, labeled the situation a significant problem, highlighting that it is unacceptable for employees to resign or take sick leave due to excessive work stress.

On Wednesday afternoon, FOA Nordjylland representatives will meet with Jammerbugt Municipality to discuss the working conditions. The municipality has declined to comment ahead of the meeting.

Dalsgaard shares her concern, noting that the chaotic work environment has driven many of her colleagues to resign or take sick leave. While she is deeply committed to her job, she contemplates whether she can continue under such conditions, both for herself and the elderly residents she serves.