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.