Domestic News ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland )
An initiative group in Outrup has joined forces to save the town's nursing home.
Else Andersen is one of the initiators who wants to buy the Møllegården nursing home. (Photo: © Bo Bechsgaard, DR) 49 minutes ago
You know about free schools – but have you heard of independent nursing homes? They have in the southwestern Jutland town of Outrup.
Here, a group of citizens wants to buy the local nursing home Møllegården, which is set to close, and instead establish an independent nursing home in the building.
This comes after budget negotiations where the municipal politicians in Varde decided to close three of the municipality's nursing homes. One of them is the Møllegården nursing home in Outrup.
Else Andersen is the spokesperson for the initiative group behind the independent nursing home.
“Møllegården is a gathering place in the town, so we don't want to lose it. We are very far along in our planning to take it over. Varde Municipality just hasn't answered us yet on whether we can buy the nursing home,” Else Andersen elaborates.
What is an independent nursing home?
An independent nursing home is not run by the municipality but is, like a free school, self-governing. The same requirements for care and supervision apply at an independent nursing home as at a municipal nursing home. The allocation of places also works the same way.
Independent nursing homes receive municipal support but can offer services that go beyond the municipally determined offerings.
Source: Danske Diakonhjem, Bolig Til Ældre
Shocked by the closure
Lone Krogh Jensen's uncle is 87 years old and has lived at the nursing home in Outrup for 17 years.
“My immediate reaction was that I was completely shocked. It's something you never imagine could happen,” Lone Krogh Jensen says about her reaction when she heard the municipality wanted to close the place.
Jens Varny Hansen is a resident at the Møllegården nursing home and his niece is Lone Krogh Jensen (Photo: © Bo Bechsgaard, DR)
“For the family, it has meant almost everything that he could get a place in a nursing home in the local area, where he has his social circle and his social life,” says Lone Krogh Jensen.
Varde municipality justifies the closure of the three nursing homes with a shortage of staff and a desire for higher professional standards at the municipality's other nursing homes.
Møllegården has 21 places and 18 residents, and the current residents will be allowed to stay.
In addition to Møllegården in Outrup, Varde municipality has also decided to close, among others, the nursing home in Agerbæk. Here, local forces also want to buy it and create an independent nursing home instead.
Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=undefined )
Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.