Sweden faces an acute shortage of care workers in elderly care, needing 65,600 more care assistants and assistant nurses by 2033. Care assistant Sandra Vilppala criticizes the Tidöre government for deporting established foreign labor while raising wage requirements, worsening the crisis. She demands either letting people stay in the country or raising wages to attract staff.
In a debate article in Dagens Nyheter, Sandra Vilppala, a care assistant in home care, warns of a growing staff shortage in elderly care. According to Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner (SKR), the number of people over 85 will increase by about 60 percent over a ten-year period, while the working-age population decreases. This creates a need for 32 percent more care assistants and assistant nurses by 2033, equivalent to 65,600 people.
Vilppala notes that the job is demanding with low pay and status, making it hard to recruit Swedes. Currently, 53 percent of care assistants and 37 percent of assistant nurses come from other countries. Despite the shortage, the Tidöre government in 2023 raised the maintenance requirement for work permits to 29,680 kronor per month for non-EU citizens, with plans to increase it to 33,390 kronor. Previously, the requirement was around 13,000 kronor.
The government also abolished 'spårbytet', which allowed rejected asylum seekers a chance at temporary work permits if established in the labor market. Examples of consequences include nursing homes in Harads losing 25 percent of staff over two years, deportations of nurses in Lund's home care, and care assistants in Jörn. Vilppala, one of the few 'white and born in Sweden' at her workplace, describes her colleagues' contributions: 'We do a horse's job, trudging through the snow slush, laughing and swearing alternately.'
She questions the government's policy: 'How are you going to conjure up 65,600 employees in elderly care?' According to Vilppala, the government must either let established staff stay or raise wages to avoid a 'care catastrophe'. The article emphasizes that relatives cannot cover the needs, as care requires experience and education.
