Aging and Old-Age Care in Sweden: Administrative, Demographic, Political, and Financial Aspects

Abstract

A historical overview shows how ancient are the roots of the Swedish welfare state. Expenses for older people―pensions, housing allowances, institutional and community care―kept growing in the postwar years but stagnated in the 1990s. Since that decade, cutbacks in some services have led to more care and support from families and the streamlining of services, but also more efficient targeting. Diversification and rationing of services have meant that older people are still served reasonably well, usually through the joint efforts of family and state. To give perspective to the findings, historical and demographic aspects are considered.