Crisis reported at residential complex for individuals with disabilities in Reykjavík

A crisis emerged this summer in a residential complex for individuals with disabilities on Skúlagata in Reykjavík, where residents faced neglect in essential daily services. Barbara Ármannsdóttir, the mother of one of the residents, described the situation as horrific and noted that they often lacked both food and assistance.

Guðrún Jóna Jónsdóttir, known as Gugga, has lived in the complex for 25 years and reported feeling trapped at home, sometimes unable to bathe due to inadequate staffing. “Most days, there was only one staff member when there should have been two,” she recounted, explaining how this often led to a lack of necessary care and increased isolation for residents. Many of the staff were inadequately trained, and it was not guaranteed that food would be provided to the residents.

Barbara, who has lost her own health and is unable to physically assist her daughter, frequently visited to help ensure Gugga was fed in the absence of staff support. The situation prompted an SOS call to get staff to come in during their vacation, highlighting the staffing shortage that left residents vulnerable.

Júlíana Kristín Kristjánsdóttir, a friend of Gugga, emphasized that never before in her 20-year-long acquaintance with Gugga had they faced such severe understaffing. City officials have since indicated that all positions at the Skúlagata complex are now filled, though residents are still reeling from the shortcomings of the past summer.