Elderly care

Mona Olin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! It is now time to debate SoU21 on elderly care. I would like to begin by moving to approve the committee's proposal.

Elderly care is one of the most fundamental tasks of the welfare state. It is about dignity, safety, and respect, and about how we as a society treat those who have built our country. But the reality does not always look like that. Many elderly people testify to insecurity, loneliness, and deficiencies in care. Staff is lacking, time is insufficient, and the quality varies depending on where in the country one lives. It is not worthy of a country like Sweden.

The Sweden Democrats' starting point is clear: the focus of elderly care shall be on the elderly. We want all elderly people, regardless of place of residence, to be able to influence their care. Therefore, we want to see a development where freedom of choice is strengthened and where more people get the opportunity to choose the provider that best suits their needs. At the same time, quality must be secured, and poor operations must be able to be opted out of.

But freedom of choice is not enough if safety is lacking. Today we see problems in many special housing units. Among other things, the night staffing is often insufficient, which means that the elderly do not receive help in time. It is unacceptable. Safety must apply around the clock, always.

Another issue is food. Malnutrition is a widespread problem among the elderly. The Government has therefore, with the support of Sverigedemokraterna, tasked Livsmedelsverket with compiling and disseminating information and knowledge about the importance of food and meals to prevent ill health among the elderly. It is about raising the quality, increasing knowledge, and ensuring that meals contribute to both health and quality of life. Not least, it is about ensuring that the fasting period at night does not become too long.

We want to see an elderly care that takes the whole person into account and where social community, well-being, and the individual's needs are at the center. It could be about new forms of housing, such as dementia villages, or about the possibility of also living with one's pet in old age.

Mr. Speaker! During this parliamentary term, other important steps have also been taken regarding, for example, preventive health. A specific vaccination program against pneumococci has, for example, been introduced for persons over 75 years old. It is a first step towards a broader and more equal vaccination protection for the elderly. However, the availability of different vaccines varies between regions, and that is not compatible with equal care. Therefore, we want to move forward and investigate a national vaccination program for everyone over 65 years.

The proposal regarding a language requirement in elderly care will be addressed later during the spring. The National Board of Health and Welfare has been tasked with developing support for municipalities and operations providing elderly care regarding how they can work so that staff reach the level of knowledge in the Swedish language needed to be able to perform the work within elderly care. The elderly care initiative (Äldreomsorgslyftet) is extended and expanded so that funds can be used, among other things, for language development within elderly care. These are good things.

We must also talk about what is most difficult. The abuses that have recently been highlighted within elderly care are deeply distressing. Elderly people in a position of dependency have been subjected to serious crimes by individuals who were tasked with providing care and support.

We have seen concrete cases where the same person, in their role within home care, has been able to subject several elderly women to abuse over a long period. In one high-profile case, an employee was convicted for assaulting several women in their homes – the home that should be the safest place in life. These are not isolated incidents. It is a systemic failure.

Mr. Speaker! Responsible measures have been taken. The Riksdag has decided on expanded opportunities for register checks during employment in municipal activities, which means that municipalities now have better conditions to check conviction records before employment. This applies particularly in activities such as home care.

The new Social Services Act also represents an important change. The focus is shifted towards more preventive work where interventions can be implemented earlier and where the individual's participation is strengthened. For the elderly, this means better opportunities to receive support in time, to maintain their independence longer, and to avoid more intrusive interventions further ahead.

Elderly care is a measure of our society's decency. After a long life of work, no one should have to feel insecurity, loneliness, or a lack of care. We want to see elderly care where everyone is safe, where the quality is high and equal across the entire country, and where every person is met with respect and dignity.

I want to say once again that the Sverigedemokraternas starting point is clear: The focus of elderly care shall be the elderly.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mikael Dahlqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Mona Olin from the Sweden Democrats for the speech.

During the previous debate, which concerned the functional policy, the member painted a very fine and visionary picture of how it should look and be. The member also did so in their speech regarding elderly care.

Much of what the member said in their speech, I can also stand behind. On the other hand, there are also fundamentally different views in this debate regarding how we should solve the problems within Swedish elderly care.

I want to start by talking about the underfunding within Swedish elderly care which is now acute. SKR, that is Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner, shows this clearly. Socialstyrelsen has also pointed out that the development of demographics and other factors mean that the elderly are receiving ever fewer resources.

A report that Ivo, the Health and Social Welfare Inspection, recently submitted shows that more and more people within elderly care are waiting for execution and decisions, Mr. Speaker. This concerns primarily the wait to get a residential placement and, to some extent, also home care services. Ivo's conclusion in the report is, among other things, that there is a major resource shortage in many of Sweden's municipalities.

Much of what the member addressed in their speech was about safety, quality, and so on. But where are the tools for this, Mona Olin? That is my question to you. You have not shown it financially through increased state grants.

I want to ask: How do the Sweden Democrats concretely achieve their good goals?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mona Olin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mikael Dahlqvist, for the interesting questions! It is nice to hear that the member can stand behind much of what I say. I believe that elderly care is also an issue that affects most people. Everyone has the same goal, namely that the elderly should be well off and live securely throughout their lives.

Today we have had a research day, and we have had lectures in the committee. There, people spoke about elderly people and about how we are living longer and longer. People spoke about how we live with diseases, and after diseases, but that we nevertheless live healthier.

The original image of that care needs to increase because there are more elderly people has changed slightly, because we are living healthier lives. I can, however, agree that it is a demographic issue that there are many elderly people.

In all activities concerning the elderly, staff are needed. Measures need to be taken so that staff can be attracted. It is largely about educating the staff and giving them opportunities to learn new methods and new ways to care for the elderly, both when it concerns dementia and somatic diseases.

For example, we continue with Äldreomsorgslyftet and invest a full 1.8 billion on this both in 2026 and 2027. There, I see great opportunities to be able to offer the staff further development and good conditions.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mikael Dahlqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mona Olin, for the answers!

Since we Social Democrats have been in opposition, we have truly prioritized welfare – that is, throughout this entire mandate period. Unfortunately, our budget motions do not become reality due to the majority conditions, but during both 23 and 24 we had double the appropriations compared to the Tidö parties. In 25 we had 6 billion extra for welfare, and in the current state budget, Mr. Speaker, we have 13 billion extra.

Furthermore, we want an indexing that secures the appropriations against the type of crisis that has occurred within healthcare, and to some extent also within elderly care, due to the interest rate shock and inflammation – no, not inflammation but inflation! Forgive me, Mr. Speaker; I have probably been in the healthcare sector for too long.

We have been clear that we see that elderly care is underfunded. We have made a number of promises, and moving forward we will ensure that Swedish elderly care receives the resources it needs. That is, more resources are needed to raise the quality, raise the status, and improve the working environment and the employment conditions.

My question to Mona Olin and the Sverigedemokraterna is again: Sverigedemokraterna is still the largest party in the government base – why have extra resources for elderly care not been prioritized during these years? And what does the member think – were more funds needed, or does the member think the resources are sufficient today?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mona Olin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Mikael Dahlqvist for a good question.

The Speaker mentions that the Social Democrats have sat in opposition during this entire mandate period and have truly prioritized welfare. That is nice – but you sat in government for eight years, Mikael Dahlqvist, and it sounded like you prioritized welfare only when you ended up in opposition. But perhaps it was I who misunderstood your tone there.

Many municipalities have very good finances today. They are making a surplus. If they do that, I think that the municipality, first and foremost, should review how it allocates its own budget. Do the municipalities prioritize correctly or incorrectly when they run a surplus but still say that they have too few resources for healthcare and elderly care?

Some municipalities certainly need support, and we have increased the support to municipalities and regions. But I do not think that is the only solution to look at. One cannot just lay out more and more money and believe that systemic errors will resolve themselves just because one lays out more money, but one must look at how they are used – and one must set requirements on how they should be used. Thus, one shows that the municipalities can receive money, but that it must mean something in the end.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Mona Olin, for the speech!

I noted in particular that the member highlighted how important the staff is within elderly care and that there is a shortage of staff – that the time and hands are not sufficient. She also highlighted that the focus must be on making it as good as possible for the elderly. In that case, the staff is naturally the most important.

In today's Swedish elderly care, we are completely dependent on staff born abroad. 53 percent of all care assistants in municipal care are born abroad. 37 percent of all nursing assistants in municipal care are born abroad. Over the last ten years, 33,000 people have come to Sweden who today work as nursing assistants or care assistants within municipal or regional health and medical care. Furthermore, it has only been during the last ten years that 2,000 people have come who today work as nurses.

A large part of these people, the Sweden Democrats want to kick out of Sweden. Right now, deportation processes are underway – competence deportations where nursing assistants and healthcare assistants, both in private and public sectors, are being deported from the country because they do not meet the wage requirements that the Tidö Government has established. Is this good for Swedish elderly care? The member just emphasized that it needs more staff – more hands and more people who take responsibility and make the time sufficient.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mona Olin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Christofer Bergenblock!

It is true that staff are needed in elderly care. Sometimes it is about people, and sometimes it is about ways of working. In this case, I believe it is about both, that is to say, both about how the work is organized and about the need to hire more people.

Christofer Bergenblock says here that the Sverigedemokraterna want to kick out staff who work in elderly care. The fact is that it is a fraction of those who work in elderly care and healthcare who are not allowed to stay. If one is not allowed to stay, it is because one does not meet the criteria. If one has too low a salary, either the employer must pay a higher salary or one must leave the country.

We have done this so that we can prioritize those who are in Sweden and who need to enter the labor market. People who have been here illegally and worked do not have the right to be in Sweden, and therefore they should not be here even if they are kind and pleasant and work in elderly care. If it is about illegal residence, they should not be here. So that is just how it is, which is harsh but true. We must follow our laws.

When it comes to finding new staff for elderly care, there are different approaches to take, but I see opportunities to attract younger people to elderly care through various initiatives already in primary school – that they get to go out and visit elderly care. It is about making it more attractive for people to try this. Most who work in elderly care have stumbled into it by chance, and it would be good if more could do so.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! Then the employer has to pay a higher salary, says the member. They are of course welcome to do so, but shall we look a little bit at what the wage demand looks like?

Now the wage requirement is at 80 percent of the median wage, which is a little over 29,000 kronor. This means that in large part no care assistants reach the requirement. From June 1, the government's wage requirement is raised to 33,390 kronor per month in order to receive a work permit in Sweden. The average wage for staff within elderly care, home care and LSS is 29,945 kronor.

Does this mean that the Sweden Democrats think that all those who today work within Swedish home care, elderly care, and LSS activities have too low a salary? Is it the Tidö parties' demand that these salaries should increase by 4,000 kronor per month? Or do the Sweden Democrats mean that foreign-born staff should have a salary that is on average 4,000 kronor above the salary that the Swedish-born staff has?

I have some difficulty making this fit together if it is not the case, just as I assumed in my previous speech, that the Sweden Democrats' goal is simply to kick out people who are born in another country, even though they have jobs, even though they pay taxes and even though they contribute to our common welfare – and even though they are needed within Swedish elderly care.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mona Olin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the questions, Christofer Bergenblock!

Many who work in care and healthcare come from other countries. Many of them do the job very well. But there are problems when it comes to the language. I wonder what MP Christofer Bergenblock says about that. Should we keep people here, who work in healthcare but who cannot speak the language, just because they work in healthcare? Or should we try to educate people who live here and who should be able to get jobs in healthcare and care?

The Tidö parties will not set any demands for increased wages. But my personal opinion is that everyone who works in health and social care has too low wages. The wages do not correspond to the work that is performed and the value that the work brings. They should have higher wages. But obviously, one cannot set demands on an employer to raise them. Furthermore, we do not have any statistics on what proportion of the staff has too low wages. It is probably quite unusual for, for example, a nurse to have under 33,000–34,000 in monthly salary. There, I see no risk at all.

I do not know either and do not have any statistics on how many of the 43 percent and 37 percent would actually be deported if their cases were processed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mikael Dahlqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! The National Board of Health and Welfare and SKR (Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner) are clear that elderly care faces historical challenges. In Sweden, more and more elderly people are becoming. The number of people over 80 years old is increasing sharply in the coming years, and the group over 85 years old, who have the greatest need for care and support, is increasing even more.

It is a success that we live longer. But at the same time, it places increased demands. Far too many elderly people are today met by an operation where the quality is uneven, the staff is overburdened, and the medical competence does not always suffice. It is unacceptable. As we get older and older, the number of people who have dementia, chronic diseases, and other extensive needs increases. This means that more places in special housing, more home care, and more medical resources are required.

At the same time, the working-age population is growing more slowly. Fewer people will have to bear the costs of the future and perform the work for more. We have known about that development for a long time. The question is not whether we can afford to strengthen elderly care; the question is whether we can afford not to.

Mr. Speaker! Elderly care is already one of the municipalities' largest expenditure items. At the same time, the needs are growing faster than the resources. Many municipalities are struggling today with deficits and find it difficult to expand in line with the developments.

Sweden consists of 290 municipalities. Naturally, there are municipalities that have a good economy, but there are also many municipalities that cannot make the operations balance.

The Health and Social Care Inspectorate recently showed in a report that the proportion of elderly people who have to wait for interventions is increasing. Decisions are made but are not implemented. One of the most common reasons for this is the lack of space. It is fundamentally a resource issue. When the state does not take a sufficiently large responsibility, the municipalities are forced to save. This leads to fewer employees, poorer continuity, and increased pressure on the staff.

We Social Democrats believe that elderly care is not a cost to be squeezed. It is an investment in security and dignity. Unlike the Tidö parties, we Social Democrats are prepared to allocate more resources to elderly care. In 2023, when the first budget was laid for this mandate period, we proposed a doubling of resources for welfare compared to the government. That is how it has looked in the years since as well.

In our proposal for this year's state budget, we allocate 13 billion kronor more, including to two unique initiatives that show that we are serious about investing in elderly care. One involves that we earmark approximately 2 billion kronor so that increased staffing can be initiated within special housing and home care. We also want to ensure that the state grants follow the index, in order to reduce the risk of what happened recently due to the interest rate shock and inflation. We want to index our state grants.

Mr. Speaker! Behind every figure there is a human being. Elderly care stands or falls with the staff. Home care today is largely governed by minute-planning, the staff lack the right competence, and many do not master the Swedish language. That home care can never give our elderly the optimal support.

We therefore want to create an elderly care where the staff can work with quality and dignity, where the working conditions are good and where the bureaucracy is minimal. And everyone who works in the public sector shall have equal access to work clothes and work shoes.

We know that the need for staff will increase significantly in the coming years. At the same time, it is already difficult today to recruit and retain staff. Therefore, we want to make the so-called Äldreomsorgslyftet permanent, so that more people get the opportunity to train in both the profession and other further education. The focus should naturally lie on practical nurses, nursing assistants, and specialist nurses. And the staff shall receive language support, without professional competence being pushed aside. More people shall be trained for welfare professions, and more people shall want to stay.

We also want it to be a requirement that there is medical competence, access to doctors and nurses, at our residences and in home care services around the clock and year-round.

We also want full-time employment to be the norm. And the leadership must be strengthened. Above all, we want there to be more colleagues for those who work within Swedish elderly care.

Mr. Speaker! In order to secure quality throughout the country, we want to introduce an elderly care act, which clarifies requirements for competence and quality. We know that the inequality is great today and that it is increasing among municipalities in Sweden.

We naturally also want to see welfare technology introduced, but primarily as a complement to the staff, not to replace staff. Safety alarms, medication robots, and digital supervision shall increase safety and quality without reducing the human presence.

Mr. Speaker! Unfortunately, we have seen many reports and alarms lately regarding abuse and serious deficiencies in elderly care. I want to be clear from this rostrum that it is completely unacceptable. No elderly person should have to feel unsafe in their home or in their residence. Safety and respect are non-negotiable. They are fundamental rights.

The future of elderly care cannot wait. We need a reformed and strengthened elderly care now, an elderly care that safeguards the elderly's right to security and dignity and that gives the staff the conditions to do their work with pride.

Our promises to the people are clear: elderly care shall be prioritized. Therefore, we are prepared to allocate even more resources and strengthen the operations in the long term.

I would like to move for approval of our reservation 1 on the organization and function of elderly care.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! We are now debating the Social Affairs Committee's report SoU21, which concerns elderly care. I would like to begin by moving to approve the committee's proposal.

Mr. Speaker! There are many elderly people in our country who have been part of building a strong Sweden. They have worked, paid taxes, and contributed to the welfare that we have today and that we perhaps take for granted. They have the right to be met by an elderly care characterized by security, quality, and respect.

But we must also be honest: Elderly care in Sweden has serious problems. We see the shortage of staff. We see the long waiting times for assisted living. We see a home care service that does not always suffice. Many elderly people experience insecurity, loneliness, and stress in their everyday lives. It is not worthy of a welfare country like Sweden.

Mr. Speaker! The Government and we Moderates have therefore taken important measures to strengthen elderly care, but we are not yet at the goal. It is an ongoing work. Elderly care needs continued reforms, clearer accountability, and a policy that puts the elderly at the center. The Moderates and the Government are driving a policy that aims for better quality, increased security, and greater freedom of choice. Our ambition is clear: Sweden shall have a world-class elderly care.

Mr. Speaker! We are facing a comprehensive demographic change in Sweden. We are living longer, and the proportion of elderly people in the population is increasing significantly. We could take part of this today at the research day, which we all participated in. Fundamentally, this is positive, but it also places very high demands on elderly care.

The challenges are well known. There is a major staff shortage. Thousands of nursing assistants and healthcare assistants are missing, while at the same time there are fewer children in preschool today. Understaffing leads to stress, high sickness absence, and less time for each elderly person. In many municipalities, there is a shortage of nursing homes. Elderly people with needs have to wait longer for a place in special housing, while the municipality has the responsibility to ensure that there are homes for everyone. Insecurity increases, alarms are answered too late, and the elderly are left alone. Malnutrition is a serious and often hidden problem among the elderly, especially among those who remain at home.

Mr. Speaker! The Government has in recent years implemented several decisive reforms. The elderly care boost is a historic initiative that has made it possible for thousands of employees to educate themselves, increase their competence, and obtain permanent employment. The state grants to elderly care have been increased, which has given the municipalities better conditions to strengthen quality and improve working conditions. The Government has also taken the initiative to reduce involuntary loneliness among the elderly, among other things through a national strategy against loneliness and through support in civil society's important issues.

But we need to do more. We Moderates want to go further, Mr. Speaker. What clearly distinguishes the Moderates' elderly care policy from other parties is our focus on freedom of choice, quality, and responsibility.

We believe in freedom of choice. The elderly should be able to choose for themselves who performs their care. It should not be the municipality or anyone else who decides.

We prioritize quality over quantity. It is not enough to have more places – the care must also be of high quality.

We take responsibility for the economy. A strengthened elderly care requires long-term and sustainable solutions. Our elderly deserve better than rigid systems and unnecessary bureaucracy.

Mr. Speaker! No elderly care functions without committed and competent staff. Therefore, the work environment is absolutely crucial. Today, heavy lifting, high stress, and exhaustion lead to many leaving the profession far too early. We Moderates and the government want to improve the work environment through increased staffing, better working conditions, and stronger leadership. Less administration provides more time for care. If we do not succeed in retaining staff, the entire elderly care system will face a serious crisis.

Mr. Speaker! The municipalities have a great responsibility here. More elderly care homes must be built. No elderly person who needs special housing should be forced to stay at home. Home care must become more flexible and more individually adapted. Welfare technology is an important complement but can never replace human care. The Government has therefore moved forward with a proposition on welfare technology in elderly care and taken the next step through an investigation of digital technology in social services. Technology shall increase safety, not decrease it.

Mr. Speaker! A particularly important reform is the government's bill on language requirements within elderly care. Good knowledge of Swedish is a prerequisite for safety, security, and participation for the elderly. The elderly must be able to understand. They must also be able to be understood. Therefore, a language requirement of level B2 in Swedish is introduced from July 1, 2026. The government allocates significant resources to support the municipalities in their work. It is about quality, patient safety, and respect for the elderly.

Mr. Speaker! We must also speak about relatives. In Sweden, there are over a million relatives who care for someone in their home. Many reduce their working hours or stop working entirely. Stress, exhaustion, and economic insecurity are quite common. I know this myself, because we cared for my father in our family. The government is therefore strengthening the support for relatives by increasing state grants and developing national guidelines. Relatives should not be left alone with a responsibility that is actually society's.

Mr. Speaker! The Moderates' starting point is that every human being is unique. The right to decide over one's own life shall apply regardless of age. In the autumn of life, one deserves better.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mikael Dahlqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Malin Höglund very much for the speech. I agree with part of the description of the challenges Swedish elderly care faces. I can also be humble and say that money does not solve all these problems. It would be presumptuous to claim that. Other measures are naturally also required.

But as I have previously said in both my main speech and the replies, elderly care is underfunded in Sweden. This is something many authorities, SKR among them – even researchers, as we have heard today – are very clear about. Therefore, we Social Democrats want to prioritize elderly care particularly much in the coming years. We have doubled several of the appropriations for welfare. This year we also have a targeted appropriation of 2 billion for staffing initiatives.

My first question to Member Malin Höglund is: Does the Moderate Party consider the money provided in the state budget for this year to be sufficient to make Swedish elderly care function? Are only other measures needed? Were more resources in the form of money not needed?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Mikael Dahlqvist for an important question. Money does not solve everything. The State provides money to the municipalities in the form of government grants, but the municipalities also have a responsibility themselves. They have responsibility for their finances and the budgets for the various boards. It is therefore not only the State that has the responsibility in this situation either. There are very many municipalities that are running a surplus today. There are also municipalities where, for example, the social welfare board is underfunded in order to be able to have a surplus on the account overall. It is very much a municipal issue, I believe. We provide government grants, and the Member knows that.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mikael Dahlqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Member, for the answer!

It is good that the member is clear that it depends solely on the municipalities moving forward how Swedish elderly care develops. There, we are not entirely in agreement.

The Social Democrats are completely convinced that an underfunding of that sector has been ongoing for many years. We must solve this to establish the basic prerequisites for building something better ahead.

I have a second question that I wanted to ask based on Malin Höglund's speech. It concerns the fact that the Moderates are a guarantee for freedom of choice and so on. If I heard correctly, it is argued that the municipalities lack creativity and organization.

We Social Democrats have absolutely nothing against freedom of choice if it occurs on good and fair terms. The member knows, just as I do, that we have a ticking bomb when it comes to private providers within the welfare sector. Elderly care is unfortunately no exception.

There are authorities who claim that we are talking about a black market of over 100 billion. We have problems with unscrupulous operators, we have problems with crime, plain and simple, and we have problems with fraud.

A question that I have pushed for a long time in the Committee on Social Affairs during this parliamentary term and also during the previous parliamentary term is that we should put the ideological hat aside and try to ensure that the taxpayers' money is taken care of.

I believe that we must do significantly more to get things in order. My question to the member is: Is it not better to ensure that a regulatory framework is created to minimize the risk of cheating and fraud before wanting more freedom of choice?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Mikael Dahlqvist, for the supplementary questions!

Nine out of ten elderly people want to choose for themselves how they should live. I think that figure is very clear. I have worked very many hours as an intern in elderly care, both in special housing and assisted living, and out in the home care service as Praktikant-Malin.

I have spoken with the elderly and asked: Why did you choose just this housing? Sometimes it was a coincidence and they took what was available. Sometimes they moved into a housing facility in order to later be able to move to another housing facility that they themselves wanted. So that is not the case for most. But there are those who want to choose and therefore remain in the queue a bit longer.

It is good that there are different types of housing in private or cooperative management and in municipal management so that the employees who want to work in elderly care can choose: Do I want to work for the municipality, do I want to work for a cooperative, or do I want to work for a company? We are talking about attracting more, not fewer, to work in elderly care. That there are several alternatives can then be an incentive.

Another incentive could be to reach out to students already in grade 7 or 8 and say: Hello! We as a municipality have work experience placements for you too. That is something that can be done to attract more people to start working in elderly care. I believe that is something we must do.

We must also start speaking well about elderly care and tell that it is an enjoyable job that is also free.

We are in complete agreement on fighting crime and cheating. It should not exist. The government also takes responsibility for that.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! Even in this matter, I have the honor of joining the Social Affairs Committee's debate, even though it is not my normal residence. I believe that those who have closely followed the Chamber's debates are well aware of what our member Nadja Awad, who is responsible for the issues, has repeatedly said and highlighted in the debate on elderly care. I nevertheless intend to highlight our reservation 8 and explain what it is about.

At the beginning of April 2025, the UN Human Rights Council decided to take a decisive step towards realizing a convention on the human rights of older persons. Older persons have the same human rights as everyone else. According to the Institute for Human Rights, the voices, perspectives, and experiences of older people are too often made invisible, which has consequences in the everyday lives of older people and for their rights. The Institute argues that older people are often seen as protected recipients of support and help and an economic burden for states rather than as unique individuals with varying needs, wishes, and rights.

In the current situation, the protection of the rights of older persons in international conventions is fragmented. The UN independent expert on the enjoyment of human rights by older persons has identified the lack of a convention on older persons as a contributing cause to these deficiencies.

Both the introduction of an elderly convention and the path towards it are important steps to make visible the situation for elderly persons, for example, ageism, discrimination and deficiencies in the right to health and participation.

Vänsterpartiet believes that Sweden should participate actively in the development of a convention on the human rights of older persons.

It is therefore noteworthy and concerning that Sweden's government did not send a delegation to the first UN meeting on a new convention on the elderly.

Sweden needs to take an active role in the work to develop a convention on the human rights of older people. When the government does not take responsibility, we here in the Swedish Riksdag should force the government to do so.

In other respects, I support all of the Left Party's reservations in the report. But I have chosen to focus on this reservation. I move for the approval of the Left Party's reservation number 8 regarding a convention on the human rights of the elderly.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Dan Hovskär (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my approval of the committee's proposal in the report.

Sweden faces a historical demographic change. In 2028, the number of people over 80 years old is estimated to be 50 percent more than today, according to Statistics Sweden. It is a dramatic increase. It means that we face a crossroads: Shall we have an elderly care where people merely survive or a society where the elderly get to continue living?

For us Christian Democrats, the answer is obvious. We want to see a Sweden where the elderly are met with dignity, security, and respect. The elderly are not a uniform group. They are individuals with different needs, dreams, and experiences. Therefore, elderly policy can never be reduced to a single issue. It is about care, housing, and security, but also about community, participation, and human dignity.

Mr. Speaker! The Government prioritizes elderly care through the sector grant for elderly care, through reforms such as the protected professional title for nursing assistants, and by extending and developing the Elderly Care Boost (Äldreomsorgslyftet). The new Social Services Act also entails an important transition towards a more preventive, knowledge-based, and accessible care.

Many elderly people want to stay at home as long as possible. We must respect and enable that. But we also know that there are elderly people who feel that they need a different form of housing. In those cases, we must not deny them a place. It is not worthy to not be able to choose for oneself.

Freedom of choice is a matter of dignity. That is why we introduced the Act on Choice of Care, LOV, to strengthen the elderly's right to self-determination.

It surprises no one that nine out of ten people over 85 years old want to be able to choose their care, as we heard earlier. There is no reason to believe that the elderly differ from the rest of the population when it comes to this.

Of course, one wants to be able to choose one's housing. Of course, one wants to be able to influence who comes home to help with cleaning or personal care. As a rule, we want to decide over our everyday lives and influence our situation, and that does not cease because we get older.

That is why we Christian Democrats want municipalities to be obliged to offer freedom of choice within elderly care. The elderly should have the right to choose who steps over the threshold, where they want to live, and how they want to live.

Mr. Speaker! Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen serious abuses within home care. Elderly women have been subjected to harassment and rape in their own homes. It is completely unacceptable.

Trust in elderly care must be restored. The Christian Democrats believe that municipalities – regardless of whether the operations are run in-house or by a contractor – should be obliged to request extracts from the criminal record register during new hires. We also want to introduce a national debarment register for personnel within health and care professions, so that individuals suspected of abuse cannot simply change workplaces and continue working with the elderly. But that is not enough. Managers must be given the right tools and conditions to work preventatively, identify risk individuals, and act in time.

We also want to strengthen personal safety. The person receiving intimate care shall have the right to choose whether they want to be cared for by a man or a woman. It is a question of dignity.

Safety is also about language. When staff do not master Swedish sufficiently, both safety and lives are at risk. Therefore, we want to introduce mandatory language tests upon employment and requirements for further training for those who need to strengthen their knowledge – not to shut anyone out, but to protect the elderly.

Mr. Speaker! Work in elderly care is one of society's most responsible professions. At the same time, we face a growing staff shortage. When the birth rate decreases and the needs in elderly care increase, we must start thinking anew. We therefore propose a retraining bonus for those who wish to switch from childcare to elderly care.

We are also strengthening the right to a fixed care contact. Previously, this has only existed within home care, but now a fixed care contact is also being introduced for elderly people living in special housing. It is an important reform for safety and continuity. The Government is adding 244 million kronor during 2026 and 487 million kronor during 2027 to this.

Mr. Speaker! We must not forget the relatives. Every fifth Swede is a relative caregiver. You perform an invaluable work! Therefore, we are investing 150 million kronor during 2026 and 300 million kronor during 2027 and onwards on strengthened relative support. Society shall be a support and not a replacement for natural communities. This is a central part of our view of humanity. For us Christian Democrats, the family and the community are fundamental building blocks in society.

We do not do this just for today's elderly. We build for ourselves, for our parents, for our children and for a society where security, dignity and respect matter – from the first step to the final rest.

Mr. Speaker! For us in Kristdemokraterna, elderly policy is part of our political DNA. There is more to be done, and we will continue to push for a stronger, safer, and more dignified elderly care. Today, important steps are being taken.

I therefore move for approval of the committee's proposal in the report.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! Initially, I would like to move for approval of reservation 3 under point 1 in the report.

A week ago, one could read a report in my local newspaper, Hallands Nyheter, about my friend Lisa Svensson in Halland's Kungsäter. The report was based on the results of the World Happiness Report 2025, which shows that Sweden is the fourth happiest country in the world but that happiness varies between different age groups. Least satisfied with life are our young adults, and most satisfied are our seniors. Had it depended on the youth, Sweden would have only come in 30th place, but had it depended on the seniors, we would have come in first place.

For that reason, the 22-year-old reporter Ellen Rosén turned to 102-year-old Lisa in Kungsäter to ask for life advice. And she got it! The advice was to laugh, dance, and spend time with loved ones. Sometimes I think we are wise to listen a bit more to those who are older in society, even when there is an 80-year difference between us.

This leads me into the subject of the debate, which is elderly care. I intend to focus on two different parts in my speech, partly well-being, partly staff. With Lisa's words about laughter, dancing, and socializing, it fits well, of course, to start with well-being.

Even though Sweden ranks high in the international measurement of happiness, Mr. Speaker, it does not mean that we lack problems. I think Lisa captured it very nicely when she spoke about how happiness is about well-being, meaningfulness, and community.

In Sweden, we have a strong civil society, which is important for many seniors. It is about associations, not least pensioner associations, about study associations and about communities.

It has therefore been sad to witness the Tidö parties' slaughter of study associations during the mandate period. The government grants have been cut by 30 percent. Staff have had to leave their positions, study circles have been discontinued, and cultural activities have been cancelled. To a large extent, these cuts have affected seniors specifically.

For us in Centerpartiet, this is an unacceptable development, and in our budget motion, we have put back the 500 million kronor that the government has withdrawn. We know how important activities and community are, especially in old age.

Mr. Speaker! Community is also about the housing situation, and we know that it is also easy to become lonely in old age. When a partner passes away, the risk of loneliness increases significantly for many, especially for men. The requirements to move into a special housing facility are usually quite high and are primarily based on extensive somatic or cognitive impairments. This is the basis for being allowed to move. But a move to a security housing facility usually generates significantly lower requirements, even if an assessment of need is still carried out in many municipalities. The Center Party wants it to be a right from the age of 85 to get a place in a security housing facility with adapted housing, a common room, and some staff presence.

Regardless of whether one receives food distribution via home care, food at one's special housing, or food via a day center in the municipality, it is of course important that the food is good, nutritious, inviting, and preferably locally produced.

Unfortunately, we have been able to see examples in the press where food has been set aside and used as a cost-cutting measure in the municipalities. Such was the case with Rut in Arboga, who was deprived of the Sunday roast at her elderly care home. Now the government has been changed in the municipality, and the Sunday roast has reportedly returned. We have also been able to see that Georg in Stockholm was not allowed to drink Thursday liqueur at his senior housing due to the municipality's red tape and over-guardian mentality regarding both alcohol service and the elderly. A clear example of ageism, I would call this.

Centerpartiet sees a need for a proper boost for the food in Swedish elderly care. The food and the food situation are not only important for well-being and quality of life but are also extremely important for nutrition because far too many elderly also suffer from malnutrition.

Mr. Speaker! In recent days, bombs have rained down over Iran. Even though it is the military and the loathsome regime that the war is directed against, the fear among the population is, of course, great. In this hell are the sisters Donya and Darya, who in the autumn were pulled from their studies to become nurses and were deported to Iran, a country they left behind in 2018. After seven years of investment in their education, and despite the great need for healthcare personnel, the Tidö parties threw them out of Sweden in October 2025. Since both had passed 18, they were no longer considered to have ties to Sweden, even though it is here their parents live.

We have also seen how nursing assistants and care assistants have had to leave the country because they do not reach the government's current wage floor. On June 1, the Tidö parties are raising that floor to 33,390 kronor per month. This is to be compared with the average wage of staff within LSS, home care, and elderly care, which stands at 29,945 kronor per month. This means that for the most part, no one will be able to work within Swedish elderly care on a work permit.

From and including June, we will also see nurses forced to leave the country for the same reason – that the starting salaries are below that level.

This is a completely insane policy, which is not only inhumane but also harmful to the Swedish economy and Swedish welfare. Swedish elderly care needs warm and engaged hands that take care of our elderly. Whose hands they are matters less.

Mr. Speaker! I would like to conclude by returning to 102-year-old Lisa in Kungsäter. To laugh, dance, and socialize with loved ones is significant during all parts of life. Even if dancing can, of course, be replaced with another activity, the very prerequisite for living a good life even in old age is that we counteract loneliness and strengthen community, utilize the power of civil society with associations, study associations, and communities, and ensure that we have knowledgeable, wise, and engaged staff within home care and elderly care.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The scandals within elderly care have unfortunately surfaced frequently lately – staff suspected of drug offenses, elderly people subjected to sexual abuse or even assault, and entire work teams that have had to be shut down. This must not become the normal state for Swedish elderly care.

Therefore, a number of important measures have been taken during this mandate period. One of the most important is a clear legal basis for municipalities to request extracts from criminal record and suspicion registers, which must be presented before one is employed in elderly care. The Government has also appointed an inquiry to examine whether these background checks should become mandatory. Those in need of care must be able to trust that the person who crosses their threshold is trustworthy and is not a criminal.

The demands for a well-functioning elderly care need to be set higher than that. Therefore, several of the initiatives made during the mandate period are important. It is about clear requirements that the elderly should be met by persons who master Swedish at an adequate level, increased medical competence within elderly care, permanent care contacts both within home care as well as in special housing, and of course also Äldreomsorgslyftet, which has been a cornerstone in the work to raise the competence in our elderly care homes.

When one needs elderly care, one should be able to expect dignity and quality but also maintained autonomy. But, Mr. Speaker, it is also about preventing the need for elderly care, ensuring that the healthy years become more numerous so that one does not need society's support. It is good for the individual, but it is also good for society.

Several important steps have been taken to fulfill this. Good and close care and the work with permanent doctor contact is part of that work. Another part is the national dementia strategy, which I think we should talk more about. I know that the committee has had both that and the work with preventing dementia earlier today.

Unlike the previous strategy we had in the dementia area, we are now shifting the focus from solely having a care perspective once someone has been affected by dementia to having a holistic perspective. More weight will be placed on research and preventive work. Therefore, there is also a very large dementia research initiative in the research bill that we have decided on here in the Riksdag.

When a person is affected by dementia, everyone around them is also affected. Therefore, it is incredibly important that we improve the quality of life for the person affected and ensure that they are provided with a sensible existence. With the new strategy, not only is care and nursing strengthened, but also the possibility for people with dementia to live life throughout their lives, as well as the possibility to prevent and administer brake medications and perhaps even vaccinate so that fewer people are affected by dementia.

Even the dental care reform, Mr. Speaker, has a clear focus on prevention. The idea is that we should receive the dental care we need throughout our lives, regardless of wallet and regardless of personal identity number. Therefore, preventive dental care will now be less costly for risk groups, and those pensioners who are in need of major procedures will be able to afford to undergo them.

We know that dental health is closely linked to health in general. We also want to be able to prevent other diseases through good dental health.

Mr. Speaker! For a long time, prejudices regarding the elderly have characterized our society. Research shows, however, that 70 is the new 50. The person who is elderly today lives a completely different life than the person who reached retirement age 50–60 years ago. But our image of being elderly is in many ways the same as it was in a bygone era. Even though we see clear signs that this is about to change – we see more people working long after they have passed 70, it has become more common with companies offering services performed by seniors and so on – our view of elderly care still reflects the old and somewhat outdated way of thinking about the elderly.

During the first part of the 1900s, the focus for elderly care was on care. When the focus then shifted to care in the home in the 60s, the home care for the elderly was carried out by housewives who worked for a symbolic wage. Today, the focus is finally beginning to be about living life throughout life and how we can make the healthy years more and the self-determination greater when we need help.

Mr. Speaker! An area where the elderly are still treated as a collective is what we are debating today: elderly care. The same solutions are offered to everyone, often with a patronizing pat on the head and expressions such as "our elderly."

I often refer to a report from the Institute for Human Rights that came out this past year, *Home is Somewhere Else*. The Institute studies elderly care from a rights perspective instead of a care perspective.

That the MR-institute was unfortunately really onto something we see now as we time and again read about irregularities within Swedish elderly care that are based on people not being granted the right to a dignified life. We can read about elderly people who have been left out in the cold for an entire night, elderly people who have lain in blood and feces, and elderly people who suffer from nutritional deficiencies because the municipalities are cutting back on food.

With increasing age, people are all too often seen as just their age – not as entrepreneurs, chefs, artists, stamp collectors, or any of the other things that have previously defined us as human beings. One is reduced to being older, not a human being with fundamental human rights. Then the risk increases for the type of mistreatment that we unfortunately read much about in the media today. Therefore, it is welcome that the UN Human Rights Council takes on the issue of a convention on the human rights of older people.

Elderly care must never leave anyone alone, in the cold, in vulnerability and in insecurity. We need higher ambitions – elderly care that is built on a focus on human rights and maintained empowerment throughout life. That is how we will be able to shape the elderly care of the future.

I vote in favor of the proposal in the report.

In this speech, Fredrik Malm (L) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! One of the prerequisites for obtaining the good elderly care that Member Malin Danielsson has just spoken about is, naturally, the availability of staff. It is not just a prerequisite, but it is the very foundation for us to be able to provide home care and elderly housing in this country. In that situation, the Tidö Government, in which the Liberals are included, chooses to exclude people from Sweden. This is done largely with the help of a high wage floor for labor immigration.

I have previously mentioned the figures we can see regarding competence within Sweden's municipalities. Today, 22 percent of those who work in Sweden's municipalities are foreign-born. But if we look at specifically the care activities within elderly care, it is an enormous proportion that are foreign-born, namely 53 percent of the care assistants and 37 percent of the nursing assistants. Some of them work specifically with work permits.

The government has set a wage level that will apply from June 1 which stands at 33,390 kronor. It is almost 4,000 kronor higher than what the average wage is within LSS, elderly care, and home care today. It will be particularly difficult for rural municipalities to recruit, and it hits northern Sweden extra hard, where one is also quite dependent on labor immigration.

In what way do the Liberals believe it benefits Swedish elderly care to kick out staff who work there today?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

It is a fantastic number of people who every day contribute to our elderly care in our elongated country. Many of them, just as the member says, have a background other than Swedish. Either one has roots in another country through one's parents or one is born in another country. I think it is fantastic to see that so many want to contribute to building the elderly care we have today. Many also further educate themselves via Äldreomsorgslyftet; they attend Swedish courses to reach an adequate level to be able to continue working within elderly care. This is something that we in the Liberals want to encourage.

We want to encourage those who come here, who want to contribute to our society and who want to build our society strong for the future. Therefore, we have also made a number of initiatives, including on Swedish within elderly care, Äldreomsorgslyftet and so on, so that more people can work in a good way within elderly care.

Labor immigration and wage levels are an issue that has been discussed for a long time in the Swedish Riksdag. Many parties have pushed the issue. The Liberals are not one of the parties that have pushed for a floor regarding wages, but for our part, it has been important to study shortage occupations over time to see which shortage occupations should be exempted in Sweden. I closely follow the situation in elderly care, not least in northern Sweden, to ensure that we do not make decisions that are not to the benefit of the whole country.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! De facto, the policy that the Liberals are involved in implementing in the Swedish Riksdag and through the Swedish government contributes to pushing out the people who today work within Swedish welfare, who contribute to maintaining our home care, our elderly care, our LSS residences and our personal assistance.

It is not reasonable that it is so. It is partly about Sweden losing competence, and partly about Sweden having invested money in these people to educate them – and then we send them away out of the country. Why do we do that? Well, because we set an entirely unreasonable wage requirement. That wage requirement has been decided by the government. It is the Liberalerna, Moderaterna, and Kristdemokraterna with the support of Sverigedemokraterna who have concluded that 90 percent of the median wage is reasonable. The effect of that wage requirement is that nursing assistants will be allowed to leave the country, that healthcare assistants will be allowed to leave the country, and that even newly graduated nurses will be allowed to leave the country.

If it hits hard in Stockholm, it hits even much harder in those parts of the country where the median wage is lower. If it hits hard against men, we can see that it hits even harder against women, who also have a lower median wage.

In what way is it liberal policy to kick out people who do the right thing, pay taxes, have integrated into society, learned the language and contribute to our common welfare? They are kicked out when we need them most.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the repeated question, Christofer Bergenblock.

I can continue to state that the Liberals are pushing for those who come to Sweden to be welcomed to Sweden, that they should be given the opportunity to contribute to Swedish society and that we should create good systems that work for elderly care and for those who come here and contribute. Many of those who work in Swedish elderly care today will not be affected by any wage floor, wage ceiling or other types of regulations. They do a fantastic job every day.

Just as the member has pointed out, we have established a wage sum, but it is never set in stone. The Liberals have not had it as a matter of principle and will not have it as a matter of principle that the wage should be at a certain level. Instead, we need to constantly monitor how these issues affect, for example, Swedish elderly care, not least in northern Sweden where there are major problems with recruitment.

There are different ways to handle the problems. One can look at the total, and one can look at whether shortage occupations should be exempted. We are following the issue closely, and we hope to find a good solution that works for Swedish elderly care and for all those who are in the country today and want to contribute to building a strong Sweden in the future.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Nils Seye Larsen (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Before we proceed to elderly care, I thought I would provide some clarifications because the municipal budget has been debated here. I am still relatively new to the Riksdag, but if there is one thing I do know, it is municipal budgets. It feels as though there has been some ignorance in the chamber that needs to be cleared up.

The reason why there are municipalities that show a surplus despite needing more resources for elderly care is partly due to the fact that a municipality cannot do exactly what the government does, that is, deliberately deficit-finance and then spend borrowed money on election promises. It doesn't quite work like that. Furthermore, municipalities generally need, according to SKR, to have surplus targets of at least 1 percent. This is because one, especially if one needs to invest in new things in the municipality, does not want to undermine the finances.

I just wanted to have it said. When budgeting within municipalities, it is sometimes difficult to see exactly what the outcome will be. But the need for resources is great. That is what we hear from municipalities. Resources are truly needed specifically for elderly care, which we are debating here.

With that said, it was very interesting to be part of the seminar we had in the committee this morning and to hear a bit about how this is developing. In many ways, it is a positive development in Sweden, where we are getting older and where we can also look forward to good senior years. As someone said: 70 is the new 50.

But this also implies certain challenges in the long run. We see, among other things, that the 80-plus group will increase by nearly 30 percent by 2030. It is, therefore, a change. This is a challenge, not only when it comes to being able to ensure what we want to ensure. I believe that everyone actually shares the same intention: that our elderly should be able to count on an old age with dignity. They deserve it. They have been part of building the country and the society that we have today. But in order to be able to ensure an old age with care and with quality, there need to be resources and sufficient competence, people who can actually work with taking care of our elderly.

There are large regional differences. I return to northern Sweden, where I come from, and the regions there. In Västerbotten and also in the neighboring regions Norrbotten, Västernorrland and Jämtland, there are great challenges. Many municipalities that are small in terms of population but very large in area have seen a constant and steady declining population trend. It is a shrinking and aging population. The municipalities struggle to try to maintain service. Every helping hand that exists is invaluable.

Just for these municipalities, the deportations hit extra hard. We are talking about quite serious consequences. In previous debates, I have mentioned, for example, Harads in Boden municipality. And I have traveled, for example, to Jörn and Norsjö, where people who have worked full-time taking care of our elderly have been deported. This is viewed with very great concern, because there are no alternatives. When these helping hands are deported, there are no others who can take over. It is incredibly alarming.

Then I want to address the other incorrect claim we have heard in this debate, namely that it is people who have been here illegally who have been deported. No, that is not the case. It is people who have been here legally until you changed the rules of the game through political decisions.

It is not just about the 4,700 who have been forced out due to the abolition of the track change, including my personal assistant. It is also the increased wage demands that complicate the situation. And the deportations of teenagers that we see around us risk affecting our future supply of competence, which will be absolutely crucial for our elderly care.

I view that development with great concern, and I can state that there is a very strong tone-deafness from the majority in the Riksdag towards the conditions that many of our municipalities have, especially further up in the country, in the more sparsely populated municipalities.

I intended to move on to what we will be demanding, and that is reservation 10. We would like to invest more resources. We also need to look at how we can secure the long-term funding of elderly care. But we would also need to continue working on how we can strengthen the support for the elderly and secure the protection of the elderly's rights. Here, we would like to follow something that actually exists in Finland, namely a national ombudsman for the elderly, which has functioned well. This is a proposal that we from Miljöpartiet are now putting forward.

Another part of that reservation concerns a rather large problem affecting many elderly people. It is involuntary loneliness, which unfortunately is growing and developing in Sweden, which is sad. We need to work broadly and collectively to combat involuntary loneliness and to ensure that we support and create important meeting places that can be enormously significant for mental health, which in turn affects physical health. This is part of that reservation.

We are, of course, pleased that Vänsterpartiet raised our joint reservation regarding a convention on the human rights of older people. It is a work that has been initiated. We are somewhat disappointed that Sweden has chosen not to take a leading role in that work. We feel that we should dare to take on a leadership role in the work of getting it done. When it comes to the elderly, it is quite sparse and a fragmented structure, internationally. Therefore, we see a need for this convention on older people.

In conclusion, when it comes to involuntary loneliness, I would like to highlight a small positive example. It concerns Ammarnäs Livs, which, as soon as the covid restrictions eased, decided to turn things around. Instead of delivering food to lonely elderly people, they chose to drive people to the grocery store once a week. It became a win-win situation, as they said. On the one hand, they avoided having to pack up all the goods themselves, and on the other hand, it became possible for some who sat alone at home to meet. Every Thursday, they are now gathered at Ammarnäs Livs. I think it is a nice little example of how one has creatively succeeded in creating an invaluable meeting place for the elderly. In this way, the sense of community is strengthened, and involuntary loneliness is countered.

(Applause)

In this speech, Jacob Risberg (MP) agreed.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on March 11.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)