Rising costs strain municipal budgets as young users require extensive assistance in Lørenskog

In a Lørenskog apartment, personal assistant Helen Marie Bentseng prepares crispbread for 37-year-old Bjarni Dagbjartsson, who has been living with multiple sclerosis since he was 24. Once a successful economist in the oil industry, Bjarni now relies on his personal assistants for nearly all daily activities, from dressing to eating.

As the number of young users needing extensive assistance increases, it strains municipal budgets significantly. Bjarni’s care includes 74 hours of support weekly, funded jointly by his municipality and the state. However, rising costs have put pressure on local finance, with younger, high-need users costing the government around 35 billion NOK in 2023, a number that has steadily climbed in previous years.

Lørenskog municipality alone allocated about 243 million NOK for similar services this year, culminating in a heavy financial burden for local authorities. The services provided are often considered a legal right, complicating budgetary management as municipalities cannot prioritize funding elsewhere. Assistant Bentseng emphasizes that while she helps with various tasks, such as grooming, the rising expenses create a challenging situation for local governments.

Bjarni, who finds comparisons between care provision and educational spending troubling, advocates for prioritizing those in need rather than pitting them against other budgetary demands. He argues that despite the costs, the personal assistance program remains a cost-effective alternative as it generally requires less specialized training than traditional health professionals.

With municipalities struggling to balance healthcare services with limited resources, some local politicians propose reevaluating the systems in place to ensure a sustainable way to provide necessary care.