Language Deficiencies in Östersund Elderly Care Have Exposed Pensioners to Risks

Language problems occur daily within elderly care in Östersund municipality and have, in certain cases, affected both the quality of care and the safety of the elderly. This is evident from the municipality’s response in a national review conducted by the newspaper Arbetet.

Following up on the information, the head of the health and care administration, Robert Brandt, confirms that language deficiencies have occurred in the operations and that certain incidents have posed risks for users.

– It has happened. All deviations and incidents are investigated and lessons are learned from these occurrences, he says to Jämtlands Tidning.

According to Brandt, the problems may manifest in several different ways in daily work. This includes, among other things, difficulties in reading and documenting information as well as communicating by telephone.

At the same time, he emphasizes that the organization tries to handle the situation by ensuring that other staff are available to provide support when someone in the team has limited language skills.

– This can, for example, mean difficulties with reading and documentation or talking on the phone. But if there is staff with a lower language level in a work group, there are always other people in the group/on the shift available for support. We also work actively to support employees who need to improve their communicative abilities.

Although the municipality assesses that language problems occur every day, no formal language tests have so far been used. Instead, the municipality has for several years worked with a language development strategist who has supported the operations when managers have identified a need for language development among staff.

New Language Requirements

The situation becomes relevant as new national language requirements for elderly care come into effect on July 1. The new legislation means that municipalities and private providers in elderly care must work systematically to ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge of Swedish to safely and securely carry out their duties.

The Tidö government has justified the reform by stating that insufficient language skills can have severe consequences for both quality, safety, and the elderly’s ability to understand and make themselves understood.

Earlier this year, the parliament decided to introduce the language requirement following a government proposal. The requirement applies to both current employees and new hires in elderly care. The benchmark is the B2 language level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a level which, among other things, requires the individual to understand more advanced information, communicate fluently at work, and manage documentation.

When the law comes into force, Östersund municipality will also begin mapping staff language proficiency levels.

The government has simultaneously emphasized that the language requirement is not primarily about screening out staff, but about identifying shortcomings, offering education, and raising language competence in elderly care over time. To support the municipalities, the state has allocated special funds and assigned several authorities to follow up the reform.