A delegation from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health visited the Aging Research Center (ARC) at Karolinska Institutet on 4 November 2026. The visit focused on how to delay the need for long-term care and how research findings on prevention and elderly care can be put into practice.
The visit was part of PACE, the Public Administration Cooperation Exchange, and a study visit on Sweden’s long-term care system organised in cooperation with the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Four representatives from the German Federal Ministry of Health took part.
During the exchange, the German delegation aimed to learn more about the structures, responsibilities, and financing of Swedish long-term care, as well as how municipalities organise and deliver care. The programme also addressed challenges linked to demographic change, growing demand for care and increasing pressure on informal carers.
Research on ageing and prevention
At ARC, the discussions focused on how research may contribute to preventing or delaying the need for long-term care and which factors are important for maintaining independence in older age.
Dementia and cognitive ageing were also on the agenda, along with healthy ageing and ways to prevent disability and loss of independence.
Photo: Maria Yohuang
“Although Germany and Sweden organise long-term care differently, we face the same demographic challenges and the need for sustainable care solutions. There is much we can learn from one another,” says Carin Lennartsson , Director of Aging Research Center (ARC) at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society .
The visit highlighted the value of international knowledge exchange in addressing shared challenges and promoting sustainable long-term care systems for ageing populations.
