A former home-care worker in Frederikshavn collected 1,300 signatures against planned cuts to elderly care, handing them to local politicians ahead of the city council meeting on Wednesday evening.
Marianne Bille Jensen, who lives in Frederikshavn and worked in home care for 28 years, gathered the signatures in protest against savings in the municipality’s budget. DR reports that the signatures were to be handed over before the council meeting on September 23, 2026.
At the same meeting, the council was due to consider a citizen proposal calling for the planned elderly-care savings to be stopped. Per DR, the meeting was scheduled to begin at 19:00. Bille Jensen said she does not find the care currently offered to older residents dignified.
What the savings involve
The proposed budget includes several savings in the elderly-care area in Frederikshavn. One of them is ending home-cooked meals at nine care homes. According to DR, the meals would instead be delivered from a central kitchen.
Jeanette Ladefoged, whose husband has dementia, signed the petition against the change. As reported by DR, she said her husband benefits every day from the home-cooked food. She noted that a care home is a home, and that a home normally has a kitchen where food is prepared.
Mayor will not say if petition changes anything
Mayor Jon Andersen of Venstre said the residents’ campaign made an impression on him. As stated by Andersen to DR, he has great respect for how passionate the campaigners are. He described it as refreshing that some people care so much about the community.
Asked whether the politicians would set aside some of the savings, Andersen would not answer. According to DR, he said he did not dare say whether the petition would have an influence. He added that none of the politicians are made of stone.
The citizen proposal and the signatures were presented as the council worked on the municipality’s budget, which sets out the planned savings. DR’s report was published on September 23, 2026, hours before the evening session opened. The broadcaster did not report an outcome of the vote at the time of publication.
Elderly care is run by the municipalities in Denmark, and budget decisions are taken locally by the elected city council. Spending priorities and service levels therefore differ from one municipality to the next. Frederikshavn Municipality is located in the North Jutland region.
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Citizen proposals allow residents to place an item on the council’s agenda when they gather enough support. In Frederikshavn, the proposal asked the council to halt the elderly-care savings. DR did not report how the individual parties on the council intended to vote.
