Fewer institutional places - more single rooms

In 1997 the number of institutional places for the elderly and disabled totalled 43,500, a decrease of nearly 280 beds compared to the year before. The number of single rooms increased in the same period by about 950.

The change in status from old people's home and combined old people's and nursing home to somatic hospital has produced pronounced statistical changes in the institutional sectors in recent years. The number of beds in somatic hospitals increased by nearly 1,400 from 1996 to 1997, but was offset by a bigger decline in beds in old people's homes and combined old people's and nursing homes. In 1997 beds in somatic hospitals accounted for 59.6 per cent of all beds in institutions for the elderly and disabled. This is an increase of just over three per cent compared to the year before and six per cent compared to 1995.

Fewer institutions

At the end of 1997, 1,029 institutions were registered in Statistics Norway's register of institutions, a decline of six institutions compared to 1996. Somatic hospitals made up 50 per cent of all institutions at the end of 1997, an increase of nearly 17 percentage points from 1991 to 1997.

Several single rooms

Nearly 37,400 rooms in institutions were registered in 1997. Of these, 83 per cent were single rooms, while 17 per cent were for two or more residents. Compared to 1996 there has been an increase of almost 1.5 per cent in the number of single rooms. Sixty-three per cent of the rooms had their own bath and toilet. The number is unchanged compared to 1996.

New Statistics

Nursing and social care services, 1997. Preliminary figures.
Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics . For more information, contact: asne.vigran@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 44 86, brith.sundby@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 45 49, or bjorn.gabrielsen@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 44 46.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 23, 1998