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Last updated:
November 15, 2009
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American Women's
Club of Oslo

P.O. Box 3101 Elisenberg 0207 Oslo, Norway
(47) 22 64 10 12

 
 
 

senior citizens

 
 
 
 

 

 
 

Norway has many public programs which help senior citizens both financially and socially.  These programs and their services are listed below, along with details on where to get additional information.

 
 

Topics Covered

 
 

 
 

Assistance for Seniors & Disabled Persons Living at Home

 
 

Home Help

Hjemmehjelp

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten) 

For elderly and disabled persons who need assistance to continue living at home.

 

Community nursing

Hjemmesykepleie

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Assistance with treating health problems (taking medicine, changing bandages, getting shots, recuperating from illness).

 

Attendance Allowance

Omsorgslønn

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Aid for next of kin (money allowance and workload relief).

 

Geriatric Center

Dagsenter

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Provides medical treatment, attention, exercise/activity during the daytime or evening.

 

Meals on Wheels

Ombringing av middagsmat

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Pick up or delivery service of prepared dinners for pensioners.

 

Emergency 24-Hour Service/Monitoring

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Help for seniors living alone at home – around the clock availability.

 

Aid-call Alarms

Trygghetsalarm

Contact: Your municipal Community Nursing Service (Kommunens hjemmesykepleietjeneste); also look under ‘trigghetsalarm’ in the telephone directory’s yellow pages.
 

Automatic emergency signal – alerts monitoring center, next of kin, or neighbors.

 

On-call Janitor or Handyman

Altmuligmann

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Practical help in homes of elderly and disabled.

 

Transport Service

Transportordning

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

For disabled persons or others who have great difficulties in using public transportation.

 

Technical Aids

Tekniske hjelpemidler

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten) local Social Security Office (Trygdekontor)
 

Financial support for technical aids to help those with permanent disabilities.

 

Hearing Aids

Høreapparat

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Provided free of charge by the National Insurance, after an exam at a hearing center or specialist confirms the need.

 

Physical Therapy

Fysikalsk behandling

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Standard deductibles and rates apply; in-home treatment at no additional charge.

 

Occupational Therapy

Ergoterapeut

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

In-home training and exercise programs to promote self-reliance.

 

Dental Health Service

Tannhelsetjenester

Contact: The Chief County Dental Officer
 

Provided by the public dental health care service in the county municipality.

 

 
 

 
 

Housing and Institutions for Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons

 
 

Housing Grant

Husbanken

Contact: The Municipal Housing Office
(Det kommunale boligkontoret);
Norwegian State Housing Bank (Husbanken)
 

For improvement/adaptation of an old flat/house, (under certain conditions).

 

Rent Allowance

Bostotte

Contact: The Municipal Housing Office
(Det kommunale boligkontoret);
Norwegian State Housing Bank (Husbanken)
 

Financial assistance for rent/housing expenses.

 

Sheltered Housing Complexes

Trygdebolig

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten);
The Municipal Housing Office (Det kommunale boligkontoret)
 

Built by the municipality; flats or small houses for elderly and disabled persons.

 

Retirement Homes

Aldershjem  

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

For seniors who can manage mostly on their own (help with housework and nursing care is provided).

 

Nursing Homes

Sykehjem

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

For those who cannot manage to look after themselves, but do not need to stay in a hospital.

 

 
 

 

 
 

Medical Treatment

 
 

Medical Assistance

Legevakt

Contact: your local telephone directory yellow pages
 

Emergency service is provided by casualty clinics.  Non-emergency service should be arranged through your private or municipal doctor.

 

Physical Therapists, Psychologists, Chiropractors, Speech Therapists, Orthopedic Aids

Contact: your local telephone directory yellow pages
 

These treatments must be recommended by your doctor in order to be fully or partially covered.

Medicine

Generally, the cost of medicine is the patient’s responsibility.  If the medicine is considered ‘essential’ (blå resept), the costs will be partially covered by the social security office.
 

Hospital Emergency Assistance

Hospitals are obliged to accept and treat all patients (without a referral from a doctor), in the event of an accident, life-threatening disease and childbirth.
 

Hospitalization

Normally, you must be referred by a doctor in order to be admitted to the hospital.  There are waiting lists for illnesses that do not require immediate treatment.
 

Hospital Stays

Staying in a public hospital is free.  However, if you are receiving an old-age pension and you stay more than 4 months, your pension will be reduced.
 

 
   
 

Activity and Social Relations

 
 

Senior Citizen Center

Eldresenter

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

Meeting and information places for pensioners.  Activities may include: exercise groups, choirs, bridge games, handicrafts, woodworking and weaving.  Some centers offer haircuts and pedicure treatments.  Counseling and guidance services are free, other services (haircuts, etc.) must be paid for.

 

Pedicure and Hairdressing

Fotpleie og hårpleie

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

In many municipalities pensioners can receive regular pedicure and hairdressing  services at reasonable prices.  Home service is available in some areas.

 

Free TV/Radio License

Contact: NRK, Avdeling lisensinnkreving

NRK License Department
Postboks 600  8601 Mo
 

Those with a permanent serious disability who have difficulty getting out and about may be granted a fee TV/radio license (one year at a time) if you cannot afford to pay for the license yourself.

 

Telephone Contact for the Elderly and Disabled

Telefonkontakt

Contact: Telefonkontakt for the elderly and disabled

Hausmannsg. 27
0182 Oslo

Tel.: 22 36 00 70
 

In many municipalities, an organization which finds telephone friends for elderly and disabled persons living at home.  (free service).

 

Volunteer Center

Frivilligsentralene

Contact: The municipality (kommunen); also look under ‘Frivillighetssentral’ in the telephone directory’s yellow pages.
 

Municipalities, organizations or church congregations operate centers which provide various services (e.g. help with shopping, telephone contact, visitor friends, snow shoveling, light garden work, accompaniment to the doctor’s office and giving advice).

 

Visitor Service and Visiting Friends

Besøkstjeneste/besøksvenner

Contact:

Norges Røde Kors Besøkstjeneste
The Norwegian Red Cross Visitor Service
Postboks 6875
St. Olavs plass
0130 Oslo

Tel.: 22 94 30 30  fax: 22 20 68 40
 

In most municipalities, voluntary organizations (often the Red Cross) arrange regular social visits to your home or retirement or nursing home.

 

Pensioners’ Friends and Service (PVS)

Contact:

Norse Ppensjonistforbund
The Norwegian Pensioners’ Association
Henrik Ibsensg. 7
0179 Oslo

Tel.: 22 11 00 41  fax: 22 36 26 56
 

In many municipalities, a service to stimulate social contact and provide services for pensioners (e.g. help with small repairs, painting, light garden work, snow shoveling, wood chopping, carrying wood, errands, and reading and writing letters).

 

Senior Citizen’s Ticket

Honnørbillet

Contact: any travel agent near you or from any passenger transport company

At age 67 and above, you receive a 50% discount on almost all trips made in Norway throughout the year.  Your spouse will receive the same discount when you travel together, no matter how old he or she is.  Discount includes travel on trains, trams, buses, airplanes and boats.

 

Rail Europe Senior (RES)

Contact: Norwegian State Railways (NSB)
Tel.: 815 00 888

At age 60 and above, if you are a permanent resident of Norway, you can use the senior citizen discount (honnørrabatt) on trains all over Europe (normally 30% discount for international journeys).
 

Guidance about Your Rights

Contact:

Kontoret fro fri rettshjelp
Free Legal Aid Office
Storg. 10  0184 Oslo

Tel.: 22 42 52 60

Juridisk rådgivning for kvinner
Legal Aid for Women
Tullins gate 4c  0130 Oslo

Tel.: 22 85 19 00
 

The Social Services office can advise and inform you about rules concerning pensioners’ rights and your entitlement to social benefits.  Under certain conditions, free legal aid is available.

 

Pensioner Counseling

Contact: Your municipal Health and Social Services Office (Helse- og sosialtjenesten)
 

In many municipalities, counseling services are available in the areas of taxes, banking, insurance and legal issues.

 

 
   
 

Pensions and Social Security

 
 

Old-age Pensions from the National Insurance Scheme

Alderspensjon

Contact: Your local Social Security Office (Trygdekontor)

To receive the full basic pension you must have 40 years’ social security time (trydetid).  (the pension will be reduces for less than 40 years accumulated).  Everyone who has at least 3 years’ social security time is entitled to some pension benefits (special conditions apply – see UDI pamphlet for details).

 

Supplementary Pension

Tilleggspensjon

Contact: Your local Social Security Office (Trygdekontor)
 

For those pensioners who have been in paid employment and have earned pension points from age of 17 until age 69 (special conditions apply – see UDI pamphlet for details).

 

Special Increment

Særtillegg

Contact: Your local Social Security Office (Trygdekontor)

For those pensioners with few or no pension points, a special increment is given in place of or in addition to the supplementary pension (special conditions apply – see UDI pamphlet for details).

 

 

Provider Increment

Ektefelletillegg

Contact: Your local Social Security Office (Trygdekontor)
 

For those pensioners who are providing for a spouse and children (special conditions apply – see UDI pamphlet for details).

 

Disability Pension from the National Insurance Scheme

Uførepensjon

Contact: Your local Social Security Office (Trygdekontor)
 

For those persons who have lost at least 50% of their ability to earn income from employment because of permanent (special conditions apply – see UDI pamphlet for details).

 

Old-age Pension and Taxes

Contact: The tax office where you live

Pensioners must pay taxes on their pension, but pay less taxes than those who are earning an income from work

 

 
   
 

Legal Questions when Leaving Norway and Returning to your Native Country

 
 

Refer to the UDI pamphlet Senior Citizens, pages 53-54.

  • Short-term and long-term stays outside of Norway
  • Returning to your native country

Contact:

Utlendingsdirektoratet
The Directorate of Immigration

Juridisk avdeling
Legal Department
Postboks 8108 Dep
0032 Oslo

Tel: 67 53 08 90
Fax: 67 58 05 29

 
   
 

When a Member of the Family Dies

 
 

Refer to the UDI pamphlet Senior Citizens, pages 55-59. 

  • Death certificate, report of the death to the probate court

  • Interment (gravferd)

  • Funeral

  • Cremation

  • Burial

  • Ceremonies

  • Funeral assistance (gravferdshjelp)

  • Native-country burial

  • When someone dies abroad

 
   
 

Information Source

 
 

All information presented here was taken from the UDI pamphlet Senior Citizens, part of a series entitled “For You – an Immigrant in Norway”.  Senior Citizens was published by the Directorate of Immigration, 1996.  The information in the pamphlet is up-to-date as of 25 September 1996.

To obtain a copy of Senior Citizens (or any other pamphlet in the series) contact:

Utlendingsdirektoratet
Tolke- og informasjonsavdelingen
Postboks 8108 Dep
0032 Oslo

Fax: 67 12 52 72

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
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