“In Denmark, they started planning for folks getting older in 1986 and they developed a wonderful system of caring in the community. We kind of started three years ago.” – Dr. Peter Zalan, president of the medical staff at Health Sciences North (Sudbury), in response overcrowding and long waits in the ER. (CBC News)
In 1987 Denmark decided to build no new nursing homes, and since then, the number of beds has dropped dramatically.
However, that does not mean there are no residential facilities for seniors that provide around the clock care in the country of 5.5 million. In 2007 about 41,000 Danes received permanent help in either a nursing home or a “nursing dwelling.” By comparison, Ontario with a population of more than 13 million people has about 76,000 people in long-term care homes.
What Denmark does do is provide a lot more home care.
OPSEU Diablogue 