MP urges more intermediate care for older people

Older people should have more choice over where they live and receive care, and Iceland needs to prepare intermediate services as its population ages, MP Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir writes in an opinion article published by Morgunblaðið.

The number of older people is expected to rise by 40 per cent over the next two decades, she writes, while the working-age population shrinks. This shift will put pressure on healthcare and welfare services as well as the housing market, and should be considered when planning services and allocating funds.

Guðbjartsdóttir says health authorities should place greater emphasis on preventive measures to help people remain healthy as they age. Some municipalities already offer preventive health services, she writes, describing them as an investment in people’s health and quality of life that could save money over time.

The government and municipalities have focused in recent years on developing home care and increasing the number of nursing home places. Both are necessary, she says, but residential homes have become fewer, with no such places remaining in the capital region or the Suðurnes region.

She argues that, alongside home care and nursing homes, authorities should prepare intermediate care similar to services previously provided at residential homes. A health ministry working group report submitted last year and the “Good to grow old” action plan, approved by parliament in 2023, both identify a gap in care between those levels.

Proposals include expanding home care, increasing the number of service apartments with round-the-clock support, considering new forms of housing for older people, and reviewing how services are delivered and paid for.

Older people should be able to choose who provides their care and where they live, Guðbjartsdóttir writes. She says funding should follow the individual, and that offering more housing and service options would respect people’s right to make their own decisions and help them age with dignity in a safe, supportive environment.

Guðbjartsdóttir says she will submit a parliamentary resolution proposal in the coming days to resume preparations for intermediate care. She is a member of parliament for the Independence Party.