Box 1 Organization of social care in Sweden

Sweden has a tax funded social care system that is regulated through the Social Services Act (Socialtjänstlagen) [9]. The principle of social care is to provide care based on needs to every citizen. Social care is provided either in people’s homes (home care) or at nursing homes. Since the 1990s, there has been a dramatic shift in the care of frail older adults as the number of nursing home beds has decreased [10]. Today, most older citizens are cared for in their homes as a result of policies aiming to promote “Ageing in place” [11].

Home care is provided by Swedish municipalities and includes both instrumental help, e.g., with housekeeping or managing finances, as well as personal care, e.g., with dressing, meal assistance, or with hygiene. Healthcare, on the other hand, is provided by Swedish regions. There is limited collaboration between these authorities. Case managers at municipalities assessing the need for home care have no access to healthcare information, and healthcare professionals are not aware if a patient receives home care.