According to the municipality, the property is condemned, and extensive pipe replacement and renovation would be required to meet today's standards. It was decided to build a new elderly care home on Floravägen instead. The problem, according to the municipality, is the lack of Finnish-speaking staff.
" The decision has created concern among relatives who believe language problems could worsen when the operation moves. Keijo Jokiniemi, who has his mother at Solliden, says, "There have been occasions when the residents have had to help each other translate to the staff what someone means. " Soile Ketola, who also has her mother at Solliden, adds, "Community is important, but language is crucial.
" When the new elderly care home on Floravägen is built, the initial idea was that Finnish-speaking elderly would be offered a place at Malmen, after consultation with Finnish associations in the municipality. However, when the applications came in, it turned out that almost all Finnish-speaking individuals applied to Floravägen and only one person to Malmen. This means that a new department with Finnish-speaking elderly is planned at Floravägen, but Finnish-speaking staff still cannot be guaranteed around the clock.
The municipality has not specified what measures will be taken to address the lack of Finnish-speaking staff at the new Floravägen facility. In Fagersta, until fall 2026, there is a Finnish department at Solliden, and within the municipality, there are about 14 employees in elderly care with Finnish competence. Other municipalities in the region, such as Surahammar, Skinnskatteberg, Västerås, Hallstahammar, and Köping, have varying levels of Finnish-speaking elderly care services, including bilingual departments and staff with Finnish competence.