Each municipality (kommun) has somebody who is responsible for assessing help needs (a biståndsbedömare). They will look at your circumstances and assess home-help needs and let you know how much these will cost. Home-help is available for a whole range of things from personal hygiene (showering, washing hair, dressing) to cleaning, shopping and cooking. The kommun also employs nurses (all doctors are employed by the county council) so nursing care is co-ordinated with all the other support.

If you become so infirm or sick, living at home is no longer an option, there are a few residential options depending on the level of support you need:

Seniorboende

These are normal apartments but specifically available for seniors. There will probably be a dining hall available and activities arranged but little support is required by those who live there

Servicehus 
Here you would also live in your own apartment but support is available 24 hours a day if needed. There are also likely to be more facilities on site – many have restaurants, podiatrists, hairdressers and so on there as well as regular visits from doctors. Some activities may be available and the apartments may be equipped with an alarm and specially equipped for those with disabilities.

Ålderdomshem
Individuals have a small flat or their own room but are likely to have more medical needs. Nurses are present throughout the day and night and doctors are always on call. Meals are provided, there are communal areas and there is a low level of independence for residents.

Sjukhem

Residents may be in single or double rooms and will  have a high need for medical support. Nurses nurses are available and doctors are on call around the clock. All meals are provided and support services are available for the resident and their family.

Communal living for the demented
Residents live in their own apartment with a communal kitchen, meals, other areas and activities available. Nurses are available around the clock, doctors are on call.

In each of the above cases, residents need to contribute something towards their accommodation.

Where a low level of support is required, the costs are naturally much lower (mainly rent) while the latter examples require contributions for food and medical support too. Fees for placements provided by the local municipality include all services and are based on the resident’s income (pension etc). An assessment will be carried out by the local municipality to determine the level of care needed. Seniorboende and servicehus can be provided by private companies, co-operatives or public companies (state owned). The local kommun is likely to have a list of what options are available.

To get more information on anything to do with this section, contact your local kommun who will have a specific department caring for the elderly and will be able to provide much more detail on the services they provide and their charges.

The process of contacting the local doctor is the same for the elderly as for anyone else. Again, it is dependent how urgent your need is – whether it is possible to wait for an appointment or whether you need to see somebody immediately. Home visits are also easily arranged. If you need to be referred to a specialist, the doctor will provide you with this referral.

Most clinics have a district nurse (distriktssköterskan) who will be able to help with advice on ways of making it easier to stay in your own home. 

Specialist geriatric clinics exist both in hospitals and elsewhere. It is possible to contact these clinics without a referral but it is often quicker to get the referral from your own doctor first. If you have many different illnesses that all require treatment, a team will be responsible for co-ordinating the treatments and ensuring it is clear who is responsible.

With an aged population (one of the highest proportions of pensioners in the world), provision is good for those of advancing years. Sweden believes in keeping people in their homes for as long as possible and provides home help with cooking, cleaning and so on, along with support in adapting the house itself. There is also provision for different styles of residential care dependent on the needs of the individual. Sweden no longer has any provision for keeping the elderly in hospital wards long term – specific illnesses or injuries are treated and then the local authority needs to find adequate provision for them to enable them to leave hospital. In fact, local authorities are fined if they do not find suitable alternatives to hospital stays quickly enough.

If an elderly person requires medical care, their first contact should be with their local doctor. If they need help and support to continue living at home, their local municipality (kommun) is the place to call. This split responsibility can make life a bit complex and it is not always clear whether to contact the landsting (who organise most of the healthcare) or the kommun (who are responsible for the practical support) about a specific question. Sometimes you’ll just need to try both and be patient.