2025-03-192024/25:SoU21 · p.1SoUHealth & social services
Future elderly care
The case for a dedicated Elderly Care Act
What's at stake: The quality of elderly care currently varies between municipalities, with shortcomings including medical competence and coordination. The question is whether a dedicated Elderly Care Act, separate from the rest of social services, would give older people stronger and more equal rights, or whether such a split risks weakening the holistic view of the individual's needs.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The motions called for the government to proceed with the proposal for a dedicated Elderly Care Act to create equally high quality care nationwide, while the committee agreed with the government's assessment that elderly care should continue to be regulated within the existing Social Services Act.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee agrees with the government's assessment that a holistic view of the individual's needs risks being weakened if elderly care is separately regulated in its own law apart from the rest of social services, and notes that the government has chosen not to proceed with the inquiry's proposal for an Elderly Care Act, instead continuing to process parts of the proposal within the framework of the Social Services Act.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S, V, MP)
The reserving parties (S, V, MP) hold that the regulatory framework for Swedish elderly care is not adequate, with uneven quality across the country and shortcomings in medical competence and coordination, and that a dedicated Elderly Care Act is a decisive step to strengthen, safeguard, and modernise care. They regret that the government is not proceeding with the proposal for such a law, which the inquiry submitted with the aim of creating elderly care of equally high quality based on the individual's needs and participation.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 156–130Nej 94–192
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 1/20/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | differs | confidence: low | derived |
| L | No | Yes 15/0/0/1 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/10 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Broke with the party line
| VHåkan Svenneling (V, Värmlands län) | Yes — party line: No |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2024/25:1029 by Kerstin Lundgren (C) and 2024/25:3022 by Fredrik Lundh Sammeli et al. (S) demands 85 and 87.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:1029 av Kerstin Lundgren (C) och 2024/25:3022 av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S) yrkandena 85 och 87.
Riksdag decision: Parliament voted no to approximately 60 proposals on elderly care in motions from the general motion period 2024. The proposals concern, among other things, the organization and function of elderly care, health and medical care within elderly care, and elderly care personnel. Parliament refers, among other things, to ongoing work in the area.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to implement an elderly care act to ensure equivalent and high-quality elderly care. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan requires that more resources be invested in elderly care and that quality be raised, that care and support be given according to need regardless of housing form and that it shall be possible to live a good life as an older person.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that more resources be invested in elderly care and that quality be raised, that care and support be given according to need regardless of housing form and that it shall be possible to live a good life as an older person. The counter-proposal's demand for a law securing equivalent high quality and medical expertise is an application of these commitments. The plan does not express itself on legislative technical special regulation, so the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att mer resurser satsas på äldreomsorgen och att kvaliteten höjs, att vård och omsorg ges efter behov oavsett boendeform och att det ska gå att leva ett gott liv som äldre. Motförslagets krav på en lag som säkrar likvärdigt hög kvalitet och medicinsk kompetens är en tillämpning av dessa åtaganden. Planen uttalar sig inte om lagteknisk särreglering, varför ställningstagandet härleds.
- higher quality in elderly caredecisive»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 medical 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 working environment.”
- care according to need»Vård och omsorg måste ges efter behov oavsett om du bor på ett särskilt boende eller har insatser av hemtjänsten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Care and support must be given according to need regardless of whether you live in special accommodation or have home care services.”
- invest in care quality»Vi vill investera i högre kvalitet i omsorgen för äldre och personer med« (party programme ↗)“We want to invest in higher quality care for older people and persons with”
- good life in old age»I ett av världens rikaste länder, Sverige, måste det gå att ha ett gott liv även som äldre.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In one of the world's richest countries, Sweden, it must be possible to have a good life even as an older person.”
The election manifesto explicitly demands a new elderly care act that ensures everyone receives equally good care throughout the country and has access to nurses around the clock.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly demands a new elderly care act that ensures everyone receives equally good care throughout the country and has access to nurses around the clock. The counter-proposal wants to continue driving forward the bill on a special elderly care act, which is the same thing in substance. The plan thus also directly opposes the committee's reasons that elderly care should not be specially regulated.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen en ny äldreomsorgslag som säkerställer att alla får en lika bra omsorg i hela landet och tillgång till sjuksköterskor dygnet runt. Motförslaget vill just att lagförslaget om en särskild äldreomsorgslag drivs vidare, vilket är samma sak i sak. Planen talar därmed också direkt mot utskottets skäl att äldreomsorgen inte bör särregleras.
- new elderly care actdecisive»Vi vill ha en ny äldreomsorgslag som säkerställer att alla får en lika bra omsorg i hela landet och tillgång till sjuksköterskor dygnet runt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want a new elderly care act that ensures everyone receives equally good care throughout the country and has access to nurses around the clock.”
- safe old age»Det ska vara tryggt att åldras i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It must be safe to grow old in Sweden.”
- equivalent care throughout the country»Alla invånare i hela landet ska ha likvärdig tillgång till skola, vård och omsorg.« (party programme ↗)“All residents throughout the country shall have equivalent access to school, healthcare and care.”
- strengthened medical and personnel capacity»Fler ska utbildas och anställas inom äldreomsorgen och tillsynen av personalens arbetsmiljö ska förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be trained and employed in elderly care and supervision of staff working conditions must be improved.”
The party programme states that everyone shall be able to rely on the quality and security of care regardless of who provides it and that elderly care shall be based on the elderly's individual needs.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that everyone shall be able to rely on the quality and security of care regardless of who provides it and that elderly care shall be based on the elderly's individual needs. The election manifesto promises improved care for the elderly. The counter-proposal's purpose, equivalent high quality built on the individual's needs and participation, is thus supported, although the plan does not take a position on legislative form.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att alla ska kunna lita på kvaliteten och tryggheten i omsorgen oavsett vem som utför den och att äldreomsorgen ska utgå från de äldres individuella behov. Valmanifestet lovar förbättrad vård och omsorg för äldre. Motförslagets syfte, en likvärdigt hög kvalitet byggd på individens behov och delaktighet, stöds därför, även om planen inte tar ställning till lagteknisk form.
- equivalent quality in caredecisive»Alla ska kunna lita på kvaliteten och tryggheten i omsorgen, oavsett vem som utför den.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall be able to rely on the quality and security of care, regardless of who provides it.”
- care based on individual needs»Därför är det viktigt med en trygg och god äldreomsorg som utgår från de äldres individuella behov.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore it is important with safe and good elderly care that is based on the elderly's individual needs.”
- strengthened elderly care»förbättra vård och omsorg för äldre och stärka resurserna till hemsjukvården.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“improve care for the elderly and strengthen resources for home health care.”
- resources according to needs»Vid fördelning av samhällets resurser till olika områden ska hänsyn tas till att behoven kan se olika ut.« (party programme ↗)“In the distribution of society's resources to different areas, account shall be taken of the fact that needs may look different.”
The party programme wants to see rights legislation with enforceable rights and that everyone shall have a secure old age with high quality of life, and the election manifesto that quality in elderly care shall be improved.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants to see rights legislation with enforceable rights and that everyone shall have a secure old age with high quality of life, and the election manifesto that quality in elderly care shall be improved. A special elderly care act for uniformly high quality accords with that. At the same time, the plan maintains that basic requirements can be met in different ways locally, which makes the stance derived and uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill se en rättighetslagstiftning med utkrävbara rättigheter och att alla ska få en trygg ålderdom med hög livskvalitet, och valmanifestet att kvaliteten i äldreomsorgen ska lyftas. En särskild äldreomsorgslag för likvärdigt hög kvalitet ligger i linje med det. Samtidigt håller planen fast vid att grundläggande krav kan nås på olika sätt lokalt, vilket gör ställningstagandet härlett och osäkert.
- enforceable rights in lawdecisive»Vi vill se en rättighetslagstiftning, ett tydligt samhällskontrakt med utkrävbara rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see rights legislation, a clear social contract with enforceable rights.”
- improved quality in elderly care»Kvaliteten i sjukvården och äldreomsorgen ska lyftas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Quality in healthcare and elderly care shall be improved.”
- secure and dignified old age»Alla ska kunna få en trygg ålderdom med hög livskvalitet och värdighet.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall be able to have a secure old age with high quality of life and dignity.”
- local solutions possible»men kraven kan nås på olika sätt« (party programme ↗)“but requirements can be met in different ways”
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 decisive commitment is that national governance of elderly care quality needs to be strengthened because the differences between municipalities are too large, and that good elderly care is a right for all.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's decisive commitment is that national governance of elderly care quality needs to be strengthened because the differences between municipalities are too large, and that good elderly care is a right for all. A special elderly care act to ensure equivalent quality is a means in that direction, which is why the counter-proposal's demand is supported. The plan also wants to see a broad review of healthcare organization and financing.
Original (Swedish)
Planens avgörande åtagande är att den nationella styrningen av äldreomsorgens kvalitet behöver stärkas eftersom skillnaderna mellan kommunerna är alltför stora, och att en god äldreomsorg är en rättighet för alla. En särskild äldreomsorgslag som ska trygga likvärdig kvalitet är ett medel i den riktningen, varför motförslagets krav stöds. Planen vill också se en bred översyn av vårdens organisering och finansiering.
- strengthened national governancedecisive»styrningen av äldreomsorgens kvalitet behöver stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“governance of elderly care quality needs to be strengthened.”
- unequal quality between municipalities»Skillnaderna i äldreomsorgens kvalitet är alltför stora mellan kommunerna.« (party programme ↗)“The differences in elderly care quality are too large between municipalities.”
- elderly care as a right»En god äldreomsorg är en rättighet för alla som behöver den, oavsett ekonomi.« (party programme ↗)“Good elderly care is a right for all who need it, regardless of economic circumstances.”
- review of healthcare organization»Det behövs en bred översyn av vårdens organisering och finansiering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A broad review of healthcare organization and financing is needed.”
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 wants a world-class elderly care and means that equal quality on equal terms throughout the country requires national regulation rather than varying authorities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants a world-class elderly care and means that equal quality on equal terms throughout the country requires national regulation rather than varying authorities. It also requires dignity guarantees within healthcare and care and that everyone shall be able to age with dignity. A special elderly care act to raise the quality and equality follows from these commitments, even though the plan does not mention such a law.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill ha en äldreomsorg i världsklass och menar att jämlik kvalitet på lika villkor i hela landet kräver nationell reglering snarare än skiftande huvudmän. Den kräver också värdighetsgarantier inom vård och omsorg och att alla ska kunna åldras med värdighet. En särskild äldreomsorgslag för att lyfta kvaliteten och jämlikheten följer av dessa åtaganden, även om planen inte nämner en sådan lag.
- equitable healthcare throughout the countrydecisive»Det ger en högkvalitativ, effektiv och jämlik vård på lika villkor till hela befolkningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It provides high-quality, effective and equitable healthcare on equal terms to the entire population.”
- world-class elderly care»Sverige ska ha en äldreomsorg i världsklass.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall have world-class elderly care.”
- dignity guarantees»Därför ska det finnas värdighetsgarantier inom vård och omsorg« (party programme ↗)“Therefore there shall be dignity guarantees within healthcare and care”
- age with dignity»Alla medborgare ska kunna åldras med värdighet.« (party programme ↗)“All citizens shall be able to age with dignity.”
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 lacks any commitment to a special elderly care law.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan lacks any commitment to a special elderly care law. Its path to higher quality is concrete measures such as language requirements, strengthened medical expertise and a patient-responsible physician, while the programme warns that political uniform solutions cannot meet the future's welfare needs and wants to see more freedom of choice and diversity. New central special regulation therefore lies outside the plan's direction.
Original (Swedish)
Planen saknar något åtagande om en särskild äldreomsorgslag. Dess väg till högre kvalitet är konkreta åtgärder som språkkrav, stärkt medicinsk kompetens och en patientansvarig läkare, samtidigt som programmet varnar för att politiska enhetslösningar ska möta framtidens välfärdsbehov och vill se mer valfrihet och mångfald. Ny central särreglering ligger därför utanför planens linje.
- no to uniform solutionsdecisive»politiska enhetslösningar kommer möta framtidens krav.« (party programme ↗)“political uniform solutions will not meet future demands.”
- concrete quality measures»Den medicinska kompetensen och kontinuiteten måste stärkas inom äldreomsorgen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Medical expertise and continuity must be strengthened within elderly care.”
- more freedom of choice and diversity»vi behöva mer valfrihet, mångfald och innovationsförmåga,« (party programme ↗)“we need more freedom of choice, diversity and innovative capacity,”
- requirements before new law»Införa språkkrav för personal inom vård och äldreomsorg« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce language requirements for staff within health and elderly care”
The election manifesto explicitly requires a new elderly care act that strengthens legal protection for good living conditions, since reasonable living conditions are not sufficient.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly requires a new elderly care act that strengthens legal protection for good living conditions, since reasonable living conditions are not sufficient. The counter-proposal's demand for a special elderly care act to elevate and secure care is therefore exactly what the plan commits to. The party programme's requirements for national quality standards that cannot be undercut and that the municipality's finances must not determine the quality of care support the same conclusion.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen en ny äldreomsorgslag som stärker lagstödet för goda levnadsvillkor, eftersom skäliga levnadsvillkor inte duger. Motförslagets krav på en särskild äldreomsorgslag för att lyfta och trygga omsorgen är därmed exakt det planen åtar sig. Partiprogrammets krav på nationella kvalitetskrav som inte får underskridas och på att kommunens ekonomi inte får avgöra omsorgens kvalitet stöder samma slutsats.
- new elderly care actdecisive»En ny äldreomsorgslag måste stärka lagstödet för goda levnadsvillkor då den nuvarande benämningen med skäliga levnadsvillkor inte duger.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A new elderly care act must strengthen legal protection for good living conditions as the current term with reasonable living conditions is not sufficient.”
- national quality standards»Nationella kvalitetskrav inom vård och omsorg måste finnas och får inte underskridas.« (party programme ↗)“National quality standards in care and health services must exist and must not be undercut.”
- equal care quality»kvalitet av vård och omsorg som äldre, svaga och sjuka skall få« (party programme ↗)“quality of care and health services that elderly, vulnerable and ill shall receive”
- dignified ageing»Alla människor skall kunna åldras med värdighet.« (party programme ↗)“All people shall be able to age with dignity.”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:SoU21)
- Committee report full text (HC01SoU21)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1029 — Kvalitet i äldrevården av Kerstin Lundgren (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1364 — Folkhälsan i fokus av Carina Ståhl Herrstedt m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1365 — God vård och omsorg för äldre av Carina Ståhl Herrstedt m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1412 — Jämställdhet och diskriminering av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1527 — Skydds- och tvångsåtgärder inom vården och omsorgen för äldre personer av Peder Björk och Malin Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1635 — Språkkrav i välfärden av Lawen Redar (S)
- Motion 2024/25:183 — Förbättrade måltider för äldre i det offentliga av Catarina Deremar (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1851 — Lagen om valfrihetssystem (LOV) inom välfärdsområdet av Jessica Rodén och Petter Löberg (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:2224 — Språkkrav inom vård och äldreomsorg av Johanna Rantsi (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2234 — Utdrag ur belastningsregister för personer som arbetar med äldre av Johanna Rantsi (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2358 — Svenska språket inom äldreomsorgen av Peter Hultqvist (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2392 — Kognitiva sjukdomar som leder till demens av Mats Sander (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2395 — Heltäckande registerutdrag för personal inom offentlig verksamhet av Caroline Högström (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2493 — Bemanning i verksamheter nära medborgarna av Gunilla Svantorp m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2515 — Lagen om valfrihetssystem av Markus Kallifatides m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2553 — Språktest för arbete i omsorg och äldreomsorg av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2675 — Möjlighet att anställa kommunala läkare av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2701 — Pilotprojekt - seniorhälsa av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2772 — Språkkrav för vissa jobb inom omsorgen av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2774 — Äldres möjligheter att få bo kvar i sin hemkommun av Sten Bergheden (M)
Source: The Swedish Parliament