Enhanced measures for the elderly and their relatives

The Riksdag voted in favour of the Government's proposal that residents in special housing for the elderly should be offered a specific care contact. The individual appointed as specific care contact should be an assistant nurse.

Through the Elderly Care Initiative, over 7,000 employees received further training to qualify as assistant nurses and specialist nurses in 2023. The Committee shares the Government's assessment that a greater number of assistant nurses is necessary in order to give elderly people cohesive, continuous and individually adapted care.

The Government's proposals also mean that social welfare committees should offer a support contact for those who care for or support a relative. This means that the individual can receive guidance to or information about health and medical services or about diagnoses. The Committee shares the Government’s view that these measures will help to clarify cooperation between the individual, the social welfare committee and other actors.

In addition, the responsibility of the social welfare committee, caregiver and health and medical staff in supporting children when a parent or other adult in the household falls seriously ill or dies unexpectedly will be clarified. This will also apply if a child's sibling falls seriously ill.

The amendments will come into force on 1 July 2026.

Committee report (In Swedish):

Stärkta insatser för äldre och för de som vårdar eller stöder närstående (SoU25)