This case study covers the close care system and mobile teams in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. The population of Sweden is rapidly aging, and the most fragile elderly suffer from multiple diseases and require extensive services. These patients often need a combination of homecare, primary care, and inpatient care. Close care focuses on making healthcare available as close to the patients as possible, preferably delivering it to them in their homes.
Sofia Widén, project manager from ACCESS Health International, spent two days in Lidköping Municipality in the south of Sweden to learn about close care. She interviewed Marianne Alärd, care coordinator; Ulla Andin, senior physician; Siv Jonsson, district nurse; Christina Pettersson, nurse; and Dr. Jesper Poucette, district physician and home healthcare physician. The participants discuss the advantages of care coordination and service delivery in patient homes.

This study offers a lesson in how to provide effective and high quality elder care. Swedish innovations can be applied in policies for aging nations across the globe.