OSLO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Alfhild Valeur, a 103-year-old Norwegian lady, was rejected accommodation in a nursing home at Oslo's district of Ullern despite the fact that she cannot move without a rollator walker, newspaper Aftenposten reported on Tuesday.
Valeur applied to get a place in the nursing home after she had fallen and broken her leg, but, according to Ullern authorities, she is too healthy to get an accommodation.
"At first I was horrified, and then surprised. I did not think they would refuse to give a place to such an old lady," Valeur told Aftenposten.
In the rejection letter from the Ullern district, it was emphasized that Valeur "had not received assistance from the municipality before she fell, that she takes good care of her hygiene, is of clear mind and oriented and can use a safety alarm."
"I am not demented. If I had been, I might have got a place," the 103-year-old said.
According to Statistics Norway, the number of nursing homes in Norway has decreased over the past four years. By the end of 2016, there were about 1,000 fewer institutional places, including nearly 600 fewer nursing homes than in 2013.
Inga Marte Thorkildsen, Vice Mayor for Primary Health and Social Services, expressed expectation that those that decide "listen carefully when a 103-year-old feels unsafe."
"My concern is to ensure that residents are heard. They should not be forced to live at home if they do not feel safe. They should have a nursing home if they need it, or an option that makes them safe in their daily lives," she said.
Bente N. Otto, Head of Department for Health and Fulfillment in Ullern, finds it regrettable that Valeur is experiencing anxiety and insecurity in her own home.
"That is not how it should be. Therefore, we are committed to having a good dialogue with all who receive services from the district. We have also had it with Valeur and relatives. Valeur is a lady in good health for her age, and we can take care of her needs at home," Otto was quoted as saying.
