Healthy Ageing & Chronic Disease Management
Sweden has a well-developed, and cost-efficient system for elderly care and among the highest life expectancy in the world. Emphasis is put on prevention, active ageing and ageing in place, so as to help people live longer, healthier and dignified lives. Swedish companies are an important source of innovative solutions such as assistive devices, incontinence and wound care. Smart digital solutions support people of age, their families and staff in everyday life.
The Challenge
Aging populations is a global challenge
Ageing populations and increased longevity are global trends that affect both individuals and whole societies. They affect areas such as welfare, the economy, health, the environment, housing and work, as well as migration, urbanisation, digitalisation and gender.
Life expectancy and the number of people aged 60 and older are increasing globally – a great success and the result of the development and growth we’ve experienced in the last decades. However, many diseases, especially chronic ones, and health conditions, come with old age, meaning that the demand of health and care systems will increase, requiring adaptations and increased efficiency. In 2019, the number of people aged 60 years and older was 1 billion, a number which will increase to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050.
Swedish Excellence
Ageing the Swedish way: successes, challenges and opportunities
Sweden’s transformation into an ageing society started early, intensifying from the 60’s and onwards. The result is that Sweden has a well-developed, and cost-efficient system for elderly care and among the highest life expectancy in the world. Emphasis is put on prevention and active ageing and ageing in place, so as to help people live longer, healthier and dignified lives. The Swedish government has since 2018 a strategy for dementia care.
Swedish companies are also an important source of innovative solutions and constant improvement. We find them in assistive devices, training and education, fall prevention, ulcer treatment, safety alarms, quality register systems, e-Health and IT solutions, InContinence care and many more.
Faced with the demands of a rapidly ageing population, smart digital solutions are needed that help care workers in providing remote assistance for older persons. Many of them are focused on maintaining independence and a feeling of safety for the older person, making it possible to continue living in their own home. Other solutions support care staff in e.g. safe and ergonomic handling of patients.
Quiz
Quiz
Do women have a higher life expectancy than men in Sweden?
True. Between 2016 and 2019 the life expectancy for women was expected to be 84.29 years old. By comparison, men were expected to reached 80.8 years.
Will 80% of older people be living in low- and middle-income countries by 2050?
True. By 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double (2.1 billion). The number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million.
Do 1/3 of people over 50 years old live with 2 or more chronic diseases?
True. At least 80% of people older than 60 are living with one chronic illness, but 50% older than 60 are living with two chronic illnesses (CDC, 2003).
Do only 11 percent of the adult population in Sweden smoke?
True. In 2015, 11 percent of the adult population in Sweden smoked, while smoking in other EU countries varied between 19 and 44 percent (WHO 2008 and national government agencies). The average figure in the EU is 28 percent.
Is the population aged 65 and over the fastest growing of all other age groups?
True. Globally, the population aged 65 and over is growing faster than all other age groups. According to data from World Population Prospects: the 2019 Revision, by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65 (16%), up from one in 11 in 2019 (9%).
Was 2014 the largest outbreak of the Ebola virus disease?
True. The 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa was the “largest, most severe and most complex Ebola epidemic” in history, according to the World Health Organization. More than 28,000 people were infected, and over 11,000 people died before the international public health emergency ended in June 2016.
Publications
Latest publications and Swedish actors within this area
The Swedish AgeTech Market - report 2023
The network Aging 2.0 Sweden wants to encourage more actors to get engaged and involved in the market and contribute to a bright future for our seniors and ourselves. The report on the Swedish AgeTech Market is one way of doing so, by providing information on the market to international and Swedish investors, entrepreneurs and innovators looking into offering their solutions in Sweden.
Download the report
Dementia Forum X
Dementia Forum X is an international summit gathering the world’s top stakeholders from business, finance, care, research and society to commit to more dementia-ready communities. Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, the summit is arranged biennially in Stockholm with regional events held throughout the world. Next summit will be held in 2023.
Learn more at www.dementiaforumx.org
Vision Zero – For Dementia Care without Retraint
The Swedish Dementia Centre (SDC) was founded in 2008. The commission of creating a national centre for excellence in dementia care was given to two foundations, Silviahemmet and Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, by the the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and commissioned by the National Board of Health and Welfare. SDC became an independent foundation in 2013. SDC is financed through governmental support and grant organizations.
Visit The Swedish Dementia Centre
Case
This is how welfare technology can contribute to increased security in Elderly Care
A film that shows examples of how digital technology can contribute to older people and others with disabilities being able to stay at home and feel safe and involved in society. Interviewees from the ten model municipalities in Sweden take part in the film, which is partly recorded at the Kicki home in Gothenburg. It is possible to switch to English subtitles.
Visit: SKR - The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR)
