Four hens move into Sólvang

In just a few years, Sólvangur has become a comprehensive service centre for older people.

Another milestone in the development of Sólvang in Hafnarfjörður was celebrated today with a unique housewarming party, as four new hens moved into a brand-new coop in a beautiful, renovated garden intended for the residents and clients of Sólvang. During the autumn, the City of Hafnarfjörður worked on renovating the garden and, in the process, built a splendid chicken coop that residents, day care guests, visitors to the health centre, staff and relatives will enjoy. The Friends of Solvang presented the home with the hens as a gift, and among the guests at the celebration were Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, the Mayor, and Halla Thoroddsen, CEO of Sóltún Elderly Care Services. Both are chicken owners and know the joy they bring to young and old alike.

A large crowd celebrated the arrival of the hens today.

The hens and their care: occupational therapy for day care guests  

The garden at Sólvang has been magnificently redeveloped with the needs of the elderly and people with dementia in mind, and is situated in a beautifully golden spot overlooking Hamarskotslæk towards the sea. Residents and other clients have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the hens. Day service users will be responsible for looking after the four hens, as their care provides good occupational therapy. Furthermore, the hens are intended to bring generations together, and the idea is that both nursery and primary school children from the immediate vicinity of Sólvangur can also come and visit the hens and their owners. The arrival of the hens marks a significant milestone, as only the top floor of the old Sólvang needs to be renovated and developed, after which all floors in both buildings will be fully operational. Over recent months and years, the focus has been on building a strong and high-quality elderly care service at Sólvangur, thereby facilitating access for older people to preventative services and support. Sólvangur is run by Sóltún Elderly Care Services.

There are four hens in total, and the next step will be to find them names.

Housing, preventative services and support in one and the same place

Sólvangur currently houses 71 nursing rooms in two buildings: 60 rooms in a new building which was officially opened in the summer of 2019, and 11 rooms on the second floor of the old Sólvangur building after it underwent a refurbishment. These 11 rooms were brought into use this autumn. The old Sólvangur building now houses, in addition to the eleven nursing rooms, 12 specialised day care places for people with dementia, which opened in July 2019, 14 day care places which opened in October 2021 after a complete refurbishment of the ground floor, and 39 new places for rehabilitation which opened in autumn 2022. The service opened in the autumn involves a new approach to supporting older people who receive home care in the capital region and aims to, like other preventative services at Sólvangur, to assist and empower older people to remain in independent living for longer with a better quality of life.