Swedish town employs digital guides for elderly residents

These officials help seniors to push back the feelings of alienation in a world gone rapidly technological

Upplands Väsby is a town in the northern fringes of the Stockholm metropolitan area. It’s also a town that cares for the well-being of its elderly residents in a rapidly changing world. With that in mind, the municipal council has announced the addition of a second digital home guide to its workforce.

But what precisely is a “digital home guide”? It’s a person whose job is to check up on seniors at their homes, much like a doctor, but instead of inquiring about their health, they inquire whether the residents are experiencing any digital troubles, such as the inability to operate a printer or a smartphone.

What are the most common problems that seniors have in the digital sphere?

Björn Karlsson has worked as the municipality's digital home guide since 2021. Last year alone, he made close to 280 home visits to the elderly.

“The digital home guide is an example of how to reduce alienation among the elderly. There are many smart IT solutions that can be perceived as difficult, but with the help of the digital home guide, we help Väsby's elderly become friends with them. For example, daring to have a bank ID installed on the mobile makes everyday life significantly easier,” says the chairman of the local care board Barbro Brolin.

In fact, in a short time, Mr Karlsson has become a valued and appreciated visitor in people’s homes. He is something of a gentle guardian angel in an ever-changing world, which brings convenience but also a lot of confusion and anxiety, especially for elderly people.

As a result of the positive feedback, the municipality has hired another digital home guide. Cintya Calles Soriano is a trained IT teacher and has previously worked with the rehabilitation of seniors with visual impairments.