Abandoned by Transport Service and Not Checked by Home Care

After a visit to a care home, the woman went home. It appears that nobody checked to make sure she actually made it all the way inside. When home care staff later attempted a visit, no one answered the door – something they chose to ignore.

It was on Christmas Eve 2024 that the 84-year-old woman had visited her husband at a care facility and took special transport home. When the home care service rang her doorbell that evening, no one answered. Instead of contacting the company’s on-call service or coordinator, as procedures require, this was ignored and the staff simply moved on to the next assignment.

On Christmas morning, the woman was found lying in a snowdrift near her house and was taken to the hospital with a body temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. She later passed away on Christmas Day. According to relatives, the woman did not suffer from dementia and had always found her way home.

A prosecutor who reviewed the case decided to close the preliminary investigation. The company that operated the home care service has since gone bankrupt, and former representatives declined to comment.

31 deaths

This case is far from unique. Just last year, 31 deaths among people receiving home care were reported to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (Ivo). According to a survey by the national radio, home care services failed to follow their procedures in nearly one out of three cases where a care recipient did not open the door or answer the phone.

At Ivo, unit manager Lars Ram says that municipalities and home care companies must have clear routines for situations when a home care recipient cannot be reached.

– There must be an available manager to provide support, advice, and guidance on how to act if the recipient doesn’t answer. It is essential to ensure proper communication between everyone involved.