In Uppsala, local parties disagree on whether the elderly should have a legal right to choose the gender of home care staff for intimate care. The government's June 2026 inquiry examines the issue after several assaults in the sector.
The issue has been highlighted after the care scandal in Uppsala municipality last year. 99-year-old Neita Lundquist sympathizes with worried elderly but says herself: "I want both" when it comes to male and female staff.
The Christian Democrats on the elderly board support a legislative proposal. "We put the individual before the system", says board member Evelina Solem.
The Left Party opposes legislation. "Better then to reach a solution in dialogue with the user", says Lars Håkan Andersson.
In early June the government presented the outline for a new inquiry on how elderly people should be able to choose the gender of care staff and whether new legislation is needed.
