Issues regarding staffing and competence

The plan's decisive commitment is to invest more resources in elderly care and in staff so that staff shortages disappear, and it condemns care where staff cannot keep up with what gives older people a dignified life. To state that digital technology only supplements and never compensates for gaps in staffing and competence, and that freed-up time should go to reducing loneliness and social activities, directly follows from this. The plan thus speaks to the committee's reasoning about technology's purpose.

• end staff shortagesdecisive»Därför vill Vänsterpartiet satsa mer resurser på hälso- och sjukvården och äldreomsorgen, samt satsa på personalen så att vi samtidigt får bort personalbristen och stärker personalens villkor och arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore the Left Party wants to invest more resources in health and social care and elderly care, and invest in staff so that we at the same time get rid of staff shortages and strengthen staff's conditions and occupational health.”
• dignified care requires time»Vittnesmålen om äldre som nästan aldrig får gå ut eller som måste äta sin middag tidigt på eftermiddagen för att personalen ska få tiden att gå ihop vittnar om en förskjutning i synen på människovärde.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Testimonies of older people who almost never get to go outside or who have to eat their dinner early in the afternoon so staff can keep up show a shift in views on human dignity.”
• high staffing in welfare»en hög bemanningsnivå inom välfärdsyrkena« (party programme ↗)“a high level of staffing in welfare professions”
• resources before technology solutions»Det är resurser som främst behövs, inte formulär för kvalitetssäkring, nya bokningssystem för sjukhussängar eller ännu en managementkonsult som inte kan något om verksamheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is resources that are mainly needed, not forms for quality assurance, new booking systems for hospital beds or yet another management consultant who knows nothing about the operation.”

The plan states that welfare becomes weaker when staff lack the conditions to do their work and promises that more shall be trained and employed in elderly care and that the state shall ensure competence supply. The counter-proposal's requirement that digital technology may only complement, never compensate for, deficiencies in staffing and competence follows directly from these commitments. The party programme's requirement for good working conditions in jointly financed activities points in the same direction.

• more staff in elderly caredecisive»Fler ska utbildas och anställas inom äldreomsorgen och tillsynen av personalens arbetsmiljö ska förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More shall be trained and employed in elderly care and supervision of staff working conditions shall be improved.”
• staff conditions determine quality»Välfärden blir svagare när personalen inte har förutsättningar att göra sitt bästa jobb.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare becomes weaker when staff do not have the conditions to do their best work.”
• state responsibility for competence»Staten har ett ansvar för att säkra kompetensförsörjningen, inte minst i välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state has a responsibility to ensure competence supply, not least in welfare.”
• good working conditions in welfare»De gemensamt finansierade verksamheterna ska fylla högt ställda krav på bra arbetsvillkor« (party programme ↗)“Jointly financed activities shall meet high requirements for good working conditions”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan demands that staffing levels in elderly care maintain sufficient levels and notes that increased staffing both creates new jobs and raises quality, and that older people must have the opportunity for companionship and participation. Establishing that welfare technology may only complement and never compensate for staff shortages or lack of competence, and that freed-up time goes towards reducing loneliness, follows from these commitments. The counter-proposal's demands are thus supported.

• sufficient staffing levelsdecisive»Personaltätheten måste hålla tillräcklig nivå så att« (party programme ↗)“Staffing levels must maintain sufficient levels so that”
• increased staffing raises quality»satsning på ökad bemanning genererar nya jobb« (party programme ↗)“increased staffing investment generates new jobs”
• more resources for elderly care»förbättra vård och omsorg för äldre och stärka resurserna till hemsjukvården.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“improve care and nursing for the elderly and strengthen resources for home healthcare.”
• companionship and participation for the elderly»Ett rikt liv kännetecknas av självbestämmande,« (party programme ↗)“A rich life is characterized by self-determination,”

The plan's line for care is that staffing, competence and working conditions are the key to quality, with the right to professional development for care assistants and nurses and time to get to know the service user. According to the plan, digital tools should reduce administration and be wanted by staff, thus complement personnel. It carries the requirement that welfare technology must never compensate for shortcomings in staffing or competence.

• right to professional developmentdecisive»Den som jobbar i vård och omsorg ska kunna växa och vidareutvecklas i sitt yrke. Vi vill ge alla undersköterskor och sjuksköterskor rätt till kompetensutveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Those working in health and care should be able to grow and develop further in their profession. We want to give all care assistants and nurses the right to professional development.”
• time for the care relationship»En medarbetare i hemtjänsten som har tid att lära känna sin brukare kan erbjuda bättre omsorg.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A care worker in home care who has time to get to know their service user can provide better care.”
• working conditions give quality»Bättre arbetsvillkor leder till bättre vård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Better working conditions lead to better care.”
• technology as support for staff»Den administrativa bördan inom vården måste minska, bland annat med hjälp av digitala verktyg som är användbara och efterfrågade av medarbetarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The administrative burden in healthcare must decrease, among other things through digital tools that are useful and wanted by staff.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan's commitment in elderly care is more colleagues and staff continuity – one's own team of care personnel – as well as that care shall break involuntary loneliness. That means technology shall complement staff and freed time should go to social activities, exactly what the counter-proposal demands. The plan also points out that quality differences between municipalities are too large, which motivates clear demands.

• staff continuity in home caredecisive»Vi vill att du som har hemtjänst ska ha ett eget team av omvårdnadspersonal så att du slipper möta nya ansikten varje dag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want you who have home care to have your own team of care personnel so that you do not have to meet new faces every day.”
• break involuntary loneliness»Äldreomsorgen ska bidra till att bryta ofrivillig ensamhet.« (party programme ↗)“Elderly care shall contribute to breaking involuntary loneliness.”
• more colleagues in care»För att klara det måste de som arbetar inom vården mötas av goda arbetsvillkor, fler kollegor och bra löneutveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To manage that those who work within care must be met with good working conditions, more colleagues and good wage development.”
• more even quality in elderly care»Skillnaderna i äldreomsorgens kvalitet är alltför stora mellan kommunerna.« (party programme ↗)“The differences in elderly care quality are far too large between municipalities.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto wants to break elderly people's involuntary loneliness through community-promoting initiatives in care and digital aids, which is exactly the use of freed time the counter-proposal demands. The plan simultaneously requires increased medical expertise and continuous competence development for staff, thus that technology complements and does not replace staffing and competence. Care shall meanwhile be characterised by respect for the individual's integrity and self-determination.

• community and digital aidsdecisive»Bryt äldres ofrivilliga ensamhet och isolering genom äldresamtal i alla kommuner, gemenskapsfrämjande insatser i omsorgen samt digitala hjälpmedel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Break elderly people's involuntary loneliness and isolation through elderly talks in all municipalities, community-promoting initiatives in care and digital aids.”
• increased expertise in care»Ökad medicinsk kompetens inom äldreomsorgen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increased medical expertise in elderly care.”
• competence development for staff»Säkerställ att personal inom hemtjänst och äldreboenden har möjlighet till kontinuerlig kompetensutveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that staff in home services and elderly homes have the opportunity for continuous competence development.”
• integrity and self-determination»genomsyras av respekt för den enskildes integritet och« (party programme ↗)“characterised by respect for the individual's integrity and”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan's commitments in elderly care concern strengthened medical competence and continuity, staff people recognize and better working conditions - not that technology shall replace staffing. That speaks for the counter-proposal's requirement that welfare technology may only complement and never compensate for gaps in staffing or competence. That freed time is used for what has been neglected, like reduced loneliness and a dignified old age, aligns with the plan's view of elderly care.

• competence and continuity in caredecisive»Den medicinska kompetensen och kontinuiteten måste stärkas inom äldreomsorgen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Medical competence and continuity must be strengthened in elderly care.”
• staff people recognize»Anhöriga ska veta att mamma eller pappa tas väl om hand – äter bra för att maten är god och näringsrik, får regelbunden vård och omsorg av personal de känner igen och som pratar svenska.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Relatives shall know that mum or dad is well cared for – eats well because the food is good and nutritious, gets regular care and nursing from staff they recognize and who speak Swedish.”
• better conditions for care staff»Minska förekomsten av delade turer i offentlig vård och omsorg« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the incidence of split shifts in public care and nursing”
• safe and dignified old age»Äldre har en självklar rätt till en trygg och värdig ålderdom« (party programme ↗)“Elderly people have a self-evident right to a safe and dignified old age”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The counter-proposal requires that welfare technology may only complement, never compensate for, shortcomings in staffing and competence, and that freed time goes to social interaction. The plan presumes high staff density in elderly care, sets language requirements for staff and establishes that older people should be offered meaningful activities and social interaction. The requirement thus lies in line with the plan's commitments.

• high staff density in caredecisive»grundförutsättning för att detta skall vara möjligt är en hög personaltäthet.« (party programme ↗)“a basic prerequisite for this to be possible is a high staff density.”
• meaningful time and social interaction»Viktigt är att äldre inom omsorgen erbjuds meningsfulla aktiviteter och social samvaro« (party programme ↗)“Important is that older people in care are offered meaningful activities and social interaction”
• competence requirements for staff»Införa språkkrav för personal inom hemtjänsten och äldreomsorgen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce language requirements for staff in home care and elderly care.”
• counter loneliness among older people»Sverigedemokraterna kan inte acceptera att äldre dör ensamma« (party programme ↗)“The Sweden Democrats cannot accept that older people die alone”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.