Open Arms for Afghans – Savings at the Expense of Elderly Care

In 2025, the total deficit for Hultsfred municipality’s Social Welfare Committee reached nearly 30 million kronor, of which elderly care accounted for two-thirds. The municipality now plans significant savings in care for the elderly. However, spending has not been an issue when it comes to migrants in the past.

Within elderly care, it was home care services that represented the largest deficit of 14.7 million kronor. Last year, the consulting firm Jotib was hired to analyze the situation. In their report, the consultants suggest that 36 million kronor could be saved “by working differently”.

Hultsfred municipality’s costs for elderly care are higher than the Swedish average, something believed to be mostly due to investments in new housing facilities with high property costs. At the same time, home care services are said to deviate “very, very much” from the norm.

According to the Social Welfare Committee’s chair, Anna Edvardsson (C), the goal is to reduce the budget deficit by 28 million kronor over two years, equivalent to 75 percent of the sum in the report. The measures now being taken mainly involve joint planning of staffing resources.

– Today, we do not coordinate staffing resources enough in elderly care. We need comprehensive joint staffing plans throughout the service. Currently, we work very reactively and solve issues when they arise. We use far more substitutes and qualified overtime by calling in regular staff than we would if we worked differently, says Edvardsson to Vimmerby Tidning.

No Real Cutbacks

The aim is for the budget to be balanced by 2027, and according to Edvardsson, these are not actual savings but “a budget discrepancy we need to address.” Another ambition is that no regular staff should have to be laid off.

– I sincerely hope the staff are interested and curious to develop together with us in this, she says.

Jotib will also continue to be engaged, and for 695,000 kronor the company will support the municipality’s work for the next two years.

Funds for Afghans

While resources for the elderly are being cut, a few years ago there was no hesitation in receiving Afghans, with all that entails.

– We are positive towards receiving refugees from Afghanistan because we believe we have the necessary expertise. We also have employees who are used to working with vulnerable people, said Ingemar Bertholdsson, head of the Work and Integration unit at the Social Services Department, to Vimmerby Tidning in 2021.