Coordinate care of the most ill elderly people
A major project has begun to encourage health care and social services for the most fragile elderly people - in the form of home care, elderly care, primary care and hospital care - to better work together. New ways of concentrating efforts on the elderly to provide better care need to be developed.
The Government invests in patient safety
Each year, there are approximately 3 000 deaths where healthcare injuries have been a contributory factor. During this electoral period, the Government is investing over SEK 2.5 billion in developing patient safety and reducing the number of healthcare injuries.
Improvements in sickness insurance for 2012
Sickness absence is decreasing and the sick leave process is increasingly characterised by early and active measures. The sickness insurance reform that the Government implemented during its previous term of office has been of major importance to the reduction in sickness absence. In an international perspective, sickness absence in Sweden is on a par with comparable countries. However, ambitious welfare systems require a certain amount of regular maintenance. Therefore, the Government proposes several improvements in sickness insurance in the Budget Bill for 2012.
Homelessness coordinator to support municipalities
In December 2011, the Government appointed a national coordinator for efforts to combat homelessness and prevent families with children from being evicted. The appointment of a coordinator, a web-based support tool for the municipalities and the remit to the county administrative boards to support the municipalities in their work are all the result of knowledge generated from the Government's homelessness strategy that applied during the period 2007-2009.
Systematic efforts to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Sweden
The Swedish Government is taking steps to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Sweden. It has given the Ombudsman for Children in Sweden the task of listening to and collecting opinions directly from two groups of vulnerable children and young people. Moreover, the National Board of Health and Welfare will carry out a survey of which organisations have knowledge in the area of violence against children.
Inquiry appointed on pension-related age limits
The Inquiry is to draft proposals and present alternative strategies on how to deal with pension-related age limits. It is also to present proposals for measures concerning the working environment or other areas that could improve the chances of prolonging working life. The background to the Inquiry's remit is an increasing life expectancy and an imminent increase in the number of older people in relation to the number of those actively working.
Swedish welfare policy celebrates 100th anniversary
Swedish welfare policy is celebrating its 100th anniversary during the current mandate period 2010-2014 (the first universal pension system was introduced in 1913). This is being commemorated through a series of forward-looking seminars on current challenges facing welfare.
