Today, people in general live longer than before. They are also more active and healthier than ever. To support increased quality of life and functionality of older people, information about anything related to the third life cycle, such as health promotion, rights and services, are available here.
At the turning point of a new era of life, it is good to prepare well for what is to come. Some are anxious to retire, while others celebrate it. A good idea is to start early, make this a good transition and consider how to spend your time best.
The project Good to grow older aims to ensure that older people receive appropriate care at the right service level and increase the number of those who participate in the community. It is worth looking at services for the elderly and rights of older people at the Icelandic Human Rights Centre.
Exercise available
It has a positive effect on the health and well-being of all groups, at all stages of life, to limit sedentary time and engage in regular exercise.
In older years, it is especially important to maintain muscle strength and do strength and balance training. With regular and appropriate exercise, the effects and symptoms of aging can be slowed down and the ability to live an independent life longer can be maintained.
The movement does not have to be time consuming or difficult to have a positive effect. All exercise counts and it is better to exercise a little than nothing. (in Icelandic).
The Bjartur lífsstíll also contains a variety of practical information on exercise (in Icelandic).
Local authorities offer a variety of exercise and training. Take a look at what your municipality has to offer.
As we grow older, it is normal to notice various changes in health, and the risk of diseases increases. Examples of such are vision and hearing. People may also notice memory problems that can start at this age. The interaction of age-related changes, disease, and drug use can result in reduced skills. It is important to react to all changes and seek help.
At Heilsuveru there is comprehensive and useful information suitable for everyone over 60 years of age.
It is a good idea to ensure that a family member is listed as a family member/contact person in the older person's medical record.
Assessment of your capability
Self-assessment of one's capability is part of being an active participant in one's own treatment and services.
Good to grow older is working on the development and implementation of Assessment of your capability as part of the application process for home care and other services for older people throughout the country. The result will later be attached to the application for home care and will appear in the person's medical record.
Emphasis is on the individual's self-assessment, but relatives can also answer.
Assessment of your capability – WHODAS 2.0 – is a general questionnaire to assess people's skills and impairment in the last 30 days. The list contains 32 questions, divided into 6 elements.
Those are; Understanding and Communicating, Getting Around, Self-Care, Getting along with people, Life Activities - Household and Participation in society.‘
The result is displayed in the total number of points (0-100) and also in the number of points for each element separately. The result gives an indication of the need for services and the problem.
Retirement or pension of older people consists of pension funds, social insurance pension, supplementary pension savings and other savings. Retirement is paid for the remainder of his or her life.
Payments from a pension fund can reduce the payment of old-age pensions, it is therefore important that applicants for old-age pensions seek advice from the Social Insurance Administration.
With age, many people's ability to manage their own finances decreases. Then it is good to have taken measures in time, such as giving a authorization to take care of certain issues.
It is worth keeping in mind that electronic ID must be renewed every 5 years.
It is common for the person in question to be granted access to their home bank and power of attorney for accounts, submission of tax return, to my pages at Social Insurance Administration and to pick up medicine in the pharmacy.
On my pages on island.is you can give access to others. Relatives can be authorized to access your pages on island.is, the Landspitalappið (booked appointments, blood test results and more) and the Iceland Health (Sjúkratryggingar). More options will be added later on.
Relatives can be authorized to have overview of bank accounts and/or financial operations. The respective bank have form for such authorization and it is best to contact the respective bank. Here are some examples in Icelandic.
In Heilsuvera, it is possible to authorize individuals to pick up medicine for you from a pharmacy.
Iceland Health (Sjúkratryggingar) participate in the cost of assistive and prosthetic devices, as well as medicine and dentistry for older people.
On my pages at island.is you can authorize a relative to monitor applications and payments on your pages.
The Landspitali Patient App is an application where various information from the hospital´s electronic systems are shared, such as appointments booked and blood text results. There is more patient information share in admission at Landspitali. You can get the Landspitali Patient app in Android phone and in Iphone.
On my pages on island.is you can give access to your pages in the Landspitali Patient App.
Good advice for older people
There are many ways to ease yourself in with various tasks of daily life. Technology is rapidly evolving and it is important that those who are older make an effort to keep an eye on it.
Carers
Being a relative or a friend of older people can be complicated.
Family members often report feeling a lot of stress in their care role. It can be challenging to care for a person who is struggling with dementia, especially in the later stages of the disease. Too much stress increases the risk of health problems for both the family members and the demented.
As a family member, you have to think about many things and often it’s overwhelming to remember everything you have to do.
Are you worried about your older relative's skills?
Warning signs of declining skills and increased frailty can include:
Changes in personality
Forgetfulness
Difficulty climbing stairs
Decreased appetite or losing weight
Bruises without trauma
Personal hygiene is lacking
Often illness
You can consult the health care center for advice, but you can also read about it at Heilsuvera or here at Ísland.is.
Finance
It is right to ask if your relative wants to receive help with the finances in good time. Also to discuss who he would like to have to take care of finance IF he/she loses the ability to do so.
If an individual cannot give due to illness a written power of attorney about their finances, they need to go through financial deprivation. Therefore it is important to dicuss these issues early.
If help is requested, it is possible to prepare a power of attorney that gives the right to oversee daily finances and communications with various institutions, such as the Social Insurance Administration, Iceland Health (Sjúkratryggingar) and more. With such a power of attorney, the person is handling these matters with their electronic ID and everything is traceable. It is also possible to grant authorization on my pages on Island.is for various actions.
It is desirable that other close relatives sign as witnesses or have knowledge of the power of attorney.
On My pages (linkur) at island.is power of attorney can be granted „umboð“ for various actions.
Learn more about the benefits offered to older people, for example, in terms of health care, dental care, and subsidies from the Icelandic Health Insurance.
Disputes can arise, most often about finances, and then it is good to have taken measures early on, such as power of attorney, agreement on sitting in an undivided estate, drawing up wills and more.
If your relative needs and wants help with their health, here are some tips:
Get permission to talk to a health care provider or family doctor
Go through proxies to pick up medicine and/or look up medicines in Heilsuvera (insert a link from the proxy page).
Pharmacies offer drug dosing for individuals (7-28 days) and some also offer home delivery.
Accompany a loved one to an interview and check-up with healthcare professionals. Individuals often receive a lot of information, and it is good to have someone with them who can write them down. Ask for the written results of the inspection and lab tests.
Monitor medication administration if possible, e.g. with drug dosing or drug robotics. Ask for home care assistance if needed.
Follow the conventions regarding disposable aids inside my pages at Iceland Health. Conventions are often temporary (eg diapers).
In general, various aids can be subsidized from Iceland Health (support devices, safety buttons) and Sjonstodin if conditions are met.
There may come a time when a person needs the help of home support and/or home care in order to live safely at home. Loved ones and relatives do not always agree on whether it is needed and when. It can be good to have a home support or home care worker visit you to get information about the support that is available and can be applied for.
It is important to keep in mind not to take away from the individual what he can still do and rather to come in with assistance where it is needed. Sometimes it only takes a small change in the environment or bringing in aids for a person to be able to continue their work. You can get information about this from home support, home care or health care in your municipality.
The website Heimsokn (only in Icelandic) offers a simple system that keeps track of family visits to friends or relatives who need special care.
Admission is free.
Talk to a loved one about their wishes in a timely manner. With this, it can be easier for the relatives to follow the will and wishes of their loved one if they cannot do it themselves due to e.g. illness.
A few things to consider:
What is important to a loved one and what does he want to focus on?
What is your loved one's greatest fear of getting older?
Does the life story exist in an accessible place? By filling in his life story and wishes at the end of his life, your relative is contributing to ensuring that the care he may need will be provided according to his wishes.
What are the loved one's values in life and preferences regarding treatment and limitations of treatment?
How would they like to be remembered?
it is important for all relatives to seek support and advice.
Strain on family members increases the likelihood of their health problems.
Health care centers provide advice to the relatives of elderly people as some local authorities.
It's good to find a relative or friend who is willing to listen and offer support. In addition, many patient associations provide counseling services.
Senior year - aging advice provides personal advice to individuals and families with the interests of everyone in the family as a guide.
The Alzheimer's Association provides counseling to individuals with dementia and their families, free of charge. You can call the counseling phone number 520 1082 or send an email to radgjafi@alzheimer.is and make an appointment on site, by teleconference or by phone.
People's communication is different but is important to everyone. Social relations are important to everyone, but with increasing age and/or due to illness, they may decrease. It is therefore important to nurture social interaction and there are many things you can do, such as going for short walks, sitting and chatting over a cup of coffee or talking on the phone.
Communication can change over the years and changes can happen faster for one party than for the other. If such changes occur, it is good to keep in mind that it may take individuals a different amount of time to adapt to the new communication. Irritation and anger can follow. The way we handle changing relationships is different and individual. Remember that we are communicating with another human being. Sometimes a change in communication involves the need to set boundaries, and this can be difficult and complicated. You can seek help from e.g. social worker or psychologist to improve communication with your loved one.
Legal documents are passport, driver's license and identity card. A valid identity card is needed to obtain an electronic identity card, during elections, to collect medicine and more.
Attention is being drawn to the identity card, which is a new certified identity card. An identity card can be applied for at the District Commissioners.
It is worth applying for a identity card when passport and driver's license are about to expire and it is uncertain whether they will be renewed. In this way, we support self-evident human rights.
Many non-profit organizations run support groups for relatives. Here are several:
Older people are more susceptible to various accidents. Accidents with older people often have more serious consequences than with younger people.
A few tips to increase safety:
Move items that are used on a daily basis, e.g. cups, plates and bowls, in a place where they are easy to reach.
By removing mats from the floor or decorative items on the floor, the risk of falls can be reduced.
Get a lower shower base to reduce the risk of tipping over.
Get a geriatric counselor/healthcare provider to assess the situation at home.
Invest in a safety button. A wide selection of such is available from security companies.
Various useful aids are available and it is worth checking out the useful links under Assistive devices.
Örugg efri ár or Safe Senior Year is a booklet in Icelandic about where and how to prevent accidents in older people.
Housing for the elderly
Older people need to be able to acquire or rent a place as required at any given time. Different types of residential care are available, but residents are all entitled to home care and home support or municipal support services regardless of their residence status.
Serviced and other residential apartments for older people are either self-owned, rented or residence rights apartments.
Living at home with support - physical therapy at home
Older people are enabled to live a normal home life as long as possible by receiving home care that meets people in their everyday lives.
The state and municipalities are responsible for public services for older people, health services for which the state is responsible and social services which are the responsibility of municipalities.
The local associations in the capital area now offer rehabilitation at home. More municipalities are preparing to provide this service.
You can apply for home physical therapy (only in Icelandic). It is intended for people who cannot go home due to their health. A request must be received from a doctor.
Living at home with support
Home care services are divided into home support or support services (formerly known as social services) and home care services. It is called integrated home care when these services are operated by the same provider. Tele-services are a growing part of home care services and contribute to diversity, for example, with screen-visits.
Home support
The aim of home support is to provide those who require assistance with daily activities. The service can be temporary or long-term, depending on circumstances. It is provided as a day, evening or weekend service.
The services include, for example:
Support for activities of daily life
Support for the home
Social support
Meals delivered to the home for those who cannot take care of cooking themselves
If a person needs home support you must apply to the municipality you live in. Fee for home support depends on the tariff of each municipality.
Residential care is intended for those who live at home and require regular health care, for example due to diseases or the consequences of illness and accidents.
Home nursing services are free of charge and include
General care and monitoring of mental and physical health
Medication administration
Dressing changes
Contact the local health centre to assess the need for home care and/or home rehabilitation.
Assistance may be needed to restore and maintain function, health and quality of life.
Rehabilitation at home is for people who have applied for home support, support services or home care and it is believed that rehabilitation is likely to be successful.
Home rehabilitation is offered in several locations, including the capital area and Árborg.
More municipalities are preparing to provide this service.
Older people are encouraged to take advantage of hot meals: that are sold at a reasonable price at the nearest community centre.
Many municipalities offer meals delivered at home for older people. You must apply for them by contacting your local municipality.
Most of us consider driving a car as a general quality of life. Driving ability can be less with increasing age, so it‘s good to be prepared.
P-card, parking card for persons with reduced mobility
Elderly people may be entitled to a parking card (P mark) for the disabled to park in a specially marked parking space (P mark). They are mostly at the places where people get services, such as public institutions and shops.
Driving assistance
Those who cannot longer drive their own car are encouraged to use public transport. Seniors get a 50% discount on fares. In situations where the person cannot use the bus, a subsidized driving service is available.
It is worth drawing attention to the fact that the cost of owning and operating a small, lightly driven car for one year is close to two million krona per year according to information from the Icelandic Automobile Owners Association. For the same amount of money, you can make many trips with the driving service provided by you community.
You need to apply for driving services from the relevant municipality.
Icelandic Health contributes to the cost of assistive devices covered by the Regulation on subsidies for assistive devices.
Assistive devices are intended to:
enable users to cope with the activities of daily life
increase self-sufficiency and security
be used for longer than three months
in certain cases, training and treatment
Iceland Health groups assistive devices in the following categories:
Prosthetic and therapeutic devices
Prosthetic and therapeutic devices include: orthopedic shoes and insoles, artificial limbs and other artificial parts, braces, compression stockings and compression devices and breathing aids and oxygen. A healthcare worker must apply for a grant for the purchase of support and treatment aids.
Technical devices
There are a variety of technical devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, security call systems, aids in cars, various aids for bathing and going to the toilet, such as flush seats or flushing and drying equipment, support equipment of various kinds, door openers, ramps, air lift systems, communication and environmental management equipment and more. A healthcare worker must apply for a grant to purchase a technical aid.
Disposable aids
Disposable aids include: diapers, protective gloves, diabetes aids, ostomy aids and urinary catheters and urine bags. A healthcare worker must apply for a grant for the purchase of disposable aids.
Hearing aids
Iceland Health may subsidize in getting hearing aids if pensioner meet the relevant requirements.
Nutrition and special diets
Health insurance subsidizes vital nutrients and special diets and in the case of long-term need. A healthcare worker applies for a grant to buy nutrition and special food.
It is important for older people to take care of their safety. Safety in that sense includes making your home less dangerous.
• Mats sometimes need to be removed as they may cause falls. It is often sufficient to put adhesive tapes underneath them to prevent them from slipping.
• Spam hob. There are many hazards in homes, especially for those who are beginning to lose skills. It is recommended that spam hobs turn off themselves if they are forgotten or if you remove a pot from the stove without switching off.
• Attention should be paid to lighting when your vision dims.
• Handrails and support rods may need to be installed in showers or near beds.
To reduce the risk of accidents for older people, the National Association of Elderly People, Landsbjörg and the Safety Academy have published a brochure (in Icelandic) on Safe Senior Years and where and how to prevent accidents in older people.
Safety buttons are important aids when your health deteriorates. Icelandic Health subsidizes buttons from major vendors. Some also perceive when a user falls and sends out a signal.
Violence
Violence should never be tolerated. The situation can often be vulnerable, especially for older people who have lived together for a long time. If you worry about a friend you can find instructions on Heilsuvera. (in Icelandic)
Special attention is given to any kind of violence against people on the website of the Emergency Line 112.is Abuse in close relationships, where you can find definitions of various forms of violence. On the site you can also access live chat with service providers if you suspect that someone is being violent.
Daycare for the elderly
Elderly people who live at home but require regular care and assistance, can apply to join a daycare. They are operated in most bigger communities. It is possible to visit from one day a week or more.
Applications must be made on forms obtained from the relevant local authority. Application processes may vary, but information can be obtained from welfare or social services, day-care centres or others who provide these services. More on day care centres.
Health care services
With increased age the likelihood of disease and infirmity increases. In health care centres and other healthcare institutions in Iceland, there are teams that work to support and guide older people, help them to identify risk factors and provide guidance on available resources.
It is important to familiarise yourself with the available resources. First stop is always your healthcare.
The health center is usually the first stop for anyone who needs help with health issues.
Health centers offer a health-promoting reception for older people, where advice and assistance are provided to deal with the health challenges of senior years.
HÖR (health care or home care geriatric consultants) work in health centers and home care areas in many municipalities. They have acquired additional knowledge, in geriatric nursing, aging transitions, frail older people and more, as well as knowledge of specific treatment for frail older people and resources to maintain well-being and independence.
Residential care is intended for those who live at home and require regular health care, for example due to diseases or the consequences of illness and accidents.
Home nursing services are free of charge and include
General care and monitoring of mental and physical health
Medication administration
Dressing changes
Contact the local health centre to assess the need for home care and/or home rehabilitation.
At Heilsuvera (in Icelandi), you find educational materials on disease, prevention and health promotion.
There you can log on to My pages where you can book appointments, renew prescriptions and communicate securely with healthcare professionals.
It also allows you to view your healthcare and healthcare contact history.
Inquiries and appointments may also be submitted through Healthcare. A telephone consultation is available at 513-1700 or via email at Heilsuvera.is (in Icelandic).
Assistance may be needed to restore and maintain function, health and quality of life.
Rehabilitation at home is for people who have applied for home support, support services or home care and it is believed that rehabilitation is likely to be successful.
Home rehabilitation is offered in several locations, including the capital area and Árborg.
More municipalities are preparing to provide this service.
The purpose of emergency services is to prevent older people from being admitted to the emergency departments and hospitals due to illnesses that can be treated at home. The service is temporary and lasts for as long as an acute illness lasts.
Emergency services to older people are of two types today, there is Heimaspítali, which is still only served by the Healthcare Institution of South Iceland and SELMA, which is the project of the City of Reykjavík.
Hospital at home
Hospital at home is a service for older people where doctor and nurse visit their patients with supportive care at home. This is a new service for older people operated by the Healthcare Institution of South Iceland.
SELMA
SELMA is a team of nurses and doctors with the goal of enhancing healthcare services for people who use home care and suffer from sudden illness or deterioration in their health. The team is an advisory backcountry for home care staff. The services are visits and telephone consultations.
The team leader of the home healthcare clinic or the general practitioner may request a visit from SELMU if this is considered necessary.
Rehabilitation admissions aim at restoring mental, physical and social skills. It is provided after illness or accidents, or to maintain the skills and prevent further impairments.
Rehabilitation is based on active participation of the patient and interdisciplinary collaboration between professionals. Rehabilitation admissions of older people are mainly in nursing homes, a rehabilitation institution or other health institution.
Here are a few examples of institutions with rehabilitation admissions
Eir rehabilitation
Heilsustofnun - Rehabilitation and health Clinic
Kristnes – Akureyri
Resting admissions are temporary stays in nursing facilities. The stay can last from a few days up to eight weeks.
In most places, it is a specific nursing home that receives individuals for respite care. The goal of the care is to enable people to continue living in their own home with temporary resting admissions.
Rest may also be provided when a close relative who has supported the person in question needs rest or is away. Service providers need to ensure individuals get enough activity that promotes continued skills.
It is not necessary to have an approved skills and health assessment to be admitted to a rest hospital.
It can come to a point where people need more assistance than can be provided in their homes. All other measures must be fully tried before a request for a stay at a nursing home.
After the application for skills and health assessment is submitted to the skills and health assessment committee, the application is considered at a meeting of the committee.
Nursing homes provide day-around nursing services. Medical services, physiotherapy and occupational therapy are also offered. Information on the activities of nursing homes is provided the homes themselves. More on nursing homes.
Thinking about the end of your life is distant to many, and even something that can evoke unpleasant feelings. Although the end of life is not considered imminent, it may be important to take time to reflect on it.
