Immigrant pensioners draw a blank in Swedish
Thousands of immigrant pensioners in homes for the elderly are in danger of becoming more and more isolated.
With the onset of age-related dementia, the elderly patients often forget their second language, Swedish, and soon have no one with whom they can communicate on a daily basis.
According to Sirkka-Liisa Ekman, professor of patient care at the Karolinska Institute, every municipality should have facilities with a section in which the largest language groups are represented.
Speaking to the Gothenberg Post newspaper, Ekman rejects claims that the measures would be too expensive. According to Ekman, elderly patients with no other health issues do not need as many caregivers or as many medicines.
Municipalities need to take note of this need and politicians need to take this seriously, she says. There are many people in homes for the elderly who have no one they can communicate with after losing their Swedish skills.
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With the onset of age-related dementia, the elderly patients often forget their second language, Swedish, and soon have no one with whom they can communicate on a daily basis.
According to Sirkka-Liisa Ekman, professor of patient care at the Karolinska Institute, every municipality should have facilities with a section in which the largest language groups are represented.
Speaking to the Gothenberg Post newspaper, Ekman rejects claims that the measures would be too expensive. According to Ekman, elderly patients with no other health issues do not need as many caregivers or as many medicines.
Municipalities need to take note of this need and politicians need to take this seriously, she says. There are many people in homes for the elderly who have no one they can communicate with after losing their Swedish skills.
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