Stockholm City's Elderly Care and Covid19: Interview with Barbro Karlsson

Abstract

Upwards of 70% of the Covid19 death toll in Sweden has been people in elderly care services (as of mid-May 2020). We summarize the Covid19 tragedy in elderly care in Sweden, particularly in the City of Stockholm. We explain the institutional structure of elderly care administration and service provision. Those who died of Covid19 in Stockholm's nursing homes had a life-remaining median somewhere in the range of 5 to 9 months. Having contextualized the Covid19 problem in City of Stockholm, we present an interview of Barbro Karlsson, who works at the administrative heart of the Stockholm elderly care system. Her institutional knowledge and sentiment offer great insight into the concrete problems and challenges. There are really two sides to the elderly care Covid19 challenge: The vulnerability and frailty of those in nursing homes and the problem of nosocomial infection-that is, infection caused by contact with others involved in the elderly care experience. The problem calls for targeted solutions by those close to the vulnerable individuals.

Keywords: Covid-19; Elderly care; Nosocomial; Nursing homes; Stockholm; Sweden.

Fig. 1

Age groups of Covid19 deceased in Sweden (May 17, 2020).(Image source)

Fig. 2

Deceased with Covid19 and Comorbidities. Source: Socialstyrelsen. (Image source)

Fig. 3

The fourteen districts within Stockholm city. (Image source)

Fig. 4

Types of elderly care in Stockholm city

Fig. 5

Trigger alarm service provided by Stockholm’s elderly care system. (Photo source)

Fig. 6

Day center activity in Stockholm. (Photo source)

Fig. 7

Types of elderly care and number cared for in Stockholm city. Source: Äldreomsorg tidsserier

Fig. 8

Percentage of age group in Stockholm city receiving elderly care. Sources: Computed by population numbers from Statistics yearbook for Stockholm 2020 and elderly-care numbers from Elderly care in Stockholm time-series.

Fig. 9

Where the individual died (of all Covid19 deceased in Sweden). Source: Socialstyrelsen. Image source