Long-term care benefits and services in Sweden

Abstract

In Sweden, persons who require assistance with the activities of daily living receive comprehensive help services. This especially includes benefits in kind granted by the communities and cash benefits granted through social insurance. According to the Swedish Social Services Act (Socialtjänstlag [SoL]) the communities are responsible for meeting the needs for assistance of persons aged 65 and over (Äldreomsorg). Persons with disabilities (personer med funktionsnedsättning) also receive benefits corresponding to the provisions of the Social Services Act and to the supplementing Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (Lagen om stöd och service till vissa funktionshindrade [LSS]), as well as additional benefits according to the Social Insurance Act (Socialförsäkringsbalk [SFB]). A differentiation in this context is to be made between benefits granted to children and adolescents younger than 19 on the one hand, and to adults younger than 65 on the other hand.