Swedish Elderly Care Study Tour
Fifteen professionals active in the elderly care sector in the province of Quebec in Canada, came to Sweden to study the Swedish elderly care sector. Topics covered during the week were new concepts for senior residences, current issues in the non-profit and for-profit elderly care sector, healthcare for the elderly, quality registries, and implementation of new technology in elderly care.

Objective
The objective of the program is to give participants an overview of the Swedish elderly care system and insight into new developments in care services and housing for the elderly. In Sweden, older people who need help have a legal right to receive support from society. The aim of elderly care in Sweden is to make it possible for older people to live a high quality, independent life in safety. Sweden also spends more than any other OECD member on long-term care for the elderly and disabled.

Content
The program combined lectures and presentations with many varied study visits. The group visited several modern long-term care facilities, a new residential development for elderly, a dementia care and housing facility, an assistive technology center, and an innovation center for welfare technology. The program also included a special guided tour of the Vasa museum. Most of the locations were in and around the city of Stockholm, and one day was spent in the city of Västerås.

Outcome
All participants were satisfied with their participation in the study tour and found the topics relevant to their work. Most appreciated by the group were the many different study visits during the week. Participants showed a lot of interest during both lectures and visits and frequently asked questions. All participants would recommend Swedish HealthCare to others, according to the client feedback survey.