Municipalities Already Addressing language Skills in Elderly Care, Seek Government Support
recent discussion surrounding language requirements for elderly care staff, particularly from the Tidö parties, has painted an inaccurate picture of the situation, according to Anders Henriksson, chairman of Sweden’s Municipalities and Regions (SKR). While the issue is being debated,municipalities have been proactively working to improve language proficiency among caregivers for some time.
A notable indicator of this success is that nine out of ten elderly individuals receiving home care report that staff speak and understand Swedish – a positive outcome achieved even as the number of foreign-born workers in the sector increases.This demonstrates a serious commitment from municipalities to enhancing language skills, Henriksson states.
However, municipalities are not seeking stricter requirements to find qualified staff, but rather to secure resources to continue and expand existing efforts. A new legal requirement is seen as a potential avenue for increased government support in addressing a challenge they’ve long managed independently.
“We look forward to continued dialog with the government and trade unions to further strengthen elderly care,” says Henriksson.”The government needs to increase resources and ensure long-term support for language training. This is crucial for municipalities to effectively plan training initiatives amidst ongoing shortages of assistant nurses and care assistants.”
Despite recruitment challenges, elderly care facilities are actively investing in skill advancement. In 2024 alone, 50,000 employees will participate in language training during paid work hours, funded by the state subsidy Äldreomsorgslyftet. This commitment is made despite the logistical difficulties of releasing staff for training due to existing personnel shortages.
