Equally good care for the elderly - for men and women!

It should be taken for granted that men and women are treated as citizens or users in an equally good way. Everyone shall feel reassured that publicly financed operations are run equally, whoever you are. In Karlskrona, the Board for Care of the Elderly has worked together with the staff at the Elderly Services Administration to draw up a joint value base. Last year the Board launched a project that aims at increasing awareness of the importance of gender in care of the elderly, in day-to-day work with users. The aim is that resources shall be shared equally on the basis of users'individual needs.

In the project eight assistant nurses and one support officer have been trained to become equality instructors. Their task is to visit all teams and inform them about the significance of gender in daily care work, and also to help employees in discussions and male and female issues.

Sirpa Hjelm
Elderly Care Consultant

Our common values for the Elderly Care Service administration in Karlskrona are based on meetings and interplay between people. It's all about how we look at and treat one another.

Every person is unique
Everybody has the same value on the basis of own personality, regardless of their functions, religious belief, ethnic belonging, age orsex.

Every meeting is unique
Every meeting and interplay between people should be characterized by respect, warmth and attention to one another's needs.

Every assignment is important
All assignments should be cared out, depending on the situation, in the best possible way.

We succeed through cooperation
We share. We learn from each other. We work unprejudiced. All of us, individually and together, have the responsibility. All the way!

In autumn 2010 there will be a review of how various activities and meeting places for the elderly are started and structured. Do activities largely meet the needs and expectations that men and women have?

All statistics, e.g. user follow-up and personnel reports, will be analysed from a gender perspective. By identifying and rectifying inequality, the quality of care will be improved. During the project the Administration's Diversity Officer underwent a national training programme for equality strategies. The role of the Diversity Officer is to support the instructors and also management, so that equality is integrated into decisions on and management of operations. The project will end on 31 December 2010, but the work method will be continued.