Swedish Council Leaders Oppose Right to Choose Male or Female Home Carers

Social Democrat and Moderate representatives in Hässleholm have backed a recommendation to reject a general right for older residents to choose male or female home-care staff for intimate personal care, Samnytt reports.

The proposal, submitted by Christian Democrats Christer Caesar and Simon Berneblad Mandegård, covers assistance such as showering and personal hygiene. Its supporters say a choice of carer would strengthen dignity, safety and self-determination.

The municipal executive committee's working committee has recommended rejection. The matter still has to proceed through the municipal executive committee and council. This is not a final council decision.

Hanna Nilsson of the Sweden Democrats supported the motion and registered a reservation. In a video after the meeting, she criticised the Social Democrats and Moderates for opposing it.

The administration's assessment cites possible conflicts with anti-discrimination rules in recruitment, the effect on employees passed over because of their sex, and difficulties with staffing and continuity of care.

It also says individual requests can already be accommodated where there are special reasons. The available material does not explain precisely which reasons qualify or how often requests are granted. Rejecting a general entitlement is therefore not the same as banning every individual request.

Nilsson also points to the Moderates' national support for allowing older people who feel unsafe during intimate care to choose a carer's sex. A national policy could involve legislation that a municipality cannot change on its own.

The government has commissioned an inquiry into such a right, including its implications for employment law, discrimination rules and staffing. Its report is due by 11 June 2027. No general statutory entitlement has yet been introduced through that inquiry.

This report is an English adaptation of Samnytt's Swedish reporting published on 8 November 2026.