The government wants to give elderly people greater opportunities to influence which staff work in home care and elder care. The proposal comes after several high-profile cases in which care staff have been suspected or convicted of abuse against elderly clients.
According to the government, a new inquiry will now develop proposals aimed at strengthening security in elder care and reducing the risk of abuse.
“It is not a human right to work in Swedish elder care, but it is the elderly person’s right to feel safe and secure with the staff they let into their own home,” says Minister for Elderly and Social Insurance, Anna Tenje (M).
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The background is a series of cases in recent years where employees in home care have been suspected of serious crimes against the elderly, including violence and sexual abuse.
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Anna Tenje also expressed that the government believes the actual number of cases is likely much higher since many victims do not report incidents due to shame.
In connection with the proposal, she has also opened up for the law to possibly be named “Lex Elsa” in the future, after a widely recognized case in Uppsala.
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The government now wants the elderly to have the right to choose the gender of care staff, especially when it comes to interventions that are intimate or concern personal integrity.
In addition, the ability to refuse a specific employee should be strengthened if there are special reasons.
“The rapes and abuses suffered by elderly women in elder care in recent years are all unforgivable betrayals by society. This must not happen. The government takes the issue very seriously and today we are taking further important steps to create security for the elderly,” says Minister for Gender Equality, Nina Larsson (L).
At the same time, the government points out that the health care sector already faces major staffing challenges, and that an expanded right to choose staff may make the situation even more difficult.
The government is also tasking the National Board of Health and Welfare to investigate a national support line for elderly people and relatives in need of help in similar situations. The investigation should be completed no later than June 11, 2027.
See the press conference: