A good society for the elderly is a good society for everyone
There are elderly councils in every municipality (309) and in every wellbeing services county (22) in Finland. What are the elderly councils and what do they do?
In November, Municipal Commissioner Olli Männikkö was elected as Chair of the Elderly Council in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. He describes the Elderly Council as an advocacy body, which exercises an influence on matters that are important to elderly persons.
– In accordance with the Local Government Act and the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties, the decision-makers, council, board and committees must provide the Elderly Council with an opportunity to affect the planning, preparation and monitoring of activities that bear a significance to the elderly population and the services they need, he clarifies.
What is significant from the perspective of the elderly is decided by the council.
– In the current situation, an essential question is, of course, the services for the elderly, their quantity and quality as a whole, he continues.
According to Männikkö, the activities of the Elderly Council is important for the entire society.
– The number of elderly people is growing rapidly in Western Uusimaa and in the entire Europe. For example, in Espoo there are approximately 40,000 persons aged over 65 years. The question is therefore a very important one in terms of the functionality and planning of our society.
Elderly Council turns decision-makers’ attention to elderly people’s issues
The societal role of the Elderly Council is considerable, even though it does not actually decide on anything, as it does not have decision-making powers.
– The activities of the Elderly Council are perhaps best described by the quotation “While there is no decision-making power, there is the power of the voice”, says Kalle-Pekka Hietala, administration expert for the Disability and Elderly Councils at the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County.
According to Hietala, the elderly councils are much like a moral compass, which encourages, urges and promotes office-holders and political decisionmakers to acknowledge the situation of the elderly and act to ensure that the services observe every elderly person's right to healthcare, social security and other services, as well as to a life on their own terms.
All representatives in the Elderly Council of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County are aged over 65. According to Hietala, the advocacy of the Elderly Council is staunchly rooted in expertise by experience.
– Many representatives are active in the pensioners' associations in their area, which is why they are well acquainted with the questions that concern the elderly. In many ways, they are also skilfully utilising their working life background, he says.
The elderly council of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County has just started its work. Chairperson Männikko has previously worked in the Elderly Council of Espoo, so he knows that there is a vast range of matters in relation to the elderly, which need to be considered, from city planning to culture and exercise.
– I have come to the conclusion that if we manage to build a good society for the elderly, then that is also a good society for all other members of our society, he says.
Männikkö hopes that as many Western Uusimaa residents as possible sends messages to the Elderly Council concerning their views and wishes on how Western Uusimaa should be developed from the perspective of the elderly. You can send email to the Elderly Council, address: vanhusneuvosto@luvn.fi