What’s new with the wellbeing services county’s residents

1. How does it feel to be part of the large Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County?

2. Is the change visible in your daily life? If so, what is now better or worse? 

3. Where can you best find information about the wellbeing services county?

4. How should older people be taken into account when developing the wellbeing services county’s services?

5. What would you like to say to the wellbeing services county’s decision-makers? 

1. I haven’t come across anything negative yet.
2. The Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County is still very new, and I’ve had experiences of it for such a short time that it’s too early to say anything about it.
3. I get the information I need about the wellbeing services county mainly from Soukka Service Centre’s office and staff.
4. It would be pretty nice if you could get a snifter of cognac and coffee for dessert at the service centre. In all seriousness, I can say that I’m content. I don’t really have ideas for development or complaints.
5. Provide good care for us older people, that’s what I want to say.

1. Operations have become a little too large and complex to handle all my affairs properly.   
2. Even before, health care for older people has not always been excellent in Espoo, and I don’t know whether this has changed now. It’s hard to get doctor’s appointments, waiting times are really long. Transport connections should also be improved. From Soukka, you have to go to the Matinkylä health centre[MR1] [TK2] , and you can no longer use the bus. When travelling by metro, you have to walk a long distance with your rollator. In winter, going somewhere is very difficult when there are large snow banks and snow on the streets.
3. The paper has had information on the wellbeing services county, but I’m not very familiar with it.
4. You should check how older people living alone get by in their homes and take care of them.
5. Decision-makers, keep your feet on the ground. I hope that you’ll be aware of all things and the circumstances affecting them before making a decision.

1. At first, it felt that moving to the wellbeing services county is a good plan. But now that I’ve had to queue for doctors and try to contact a specialist due to my illness, everything feels very slow. Of course, these may just be the new wellbeing services county’s growing pains that will be corrected over time.
2. In matters other than my health, I’ve not come across anything that has changed or become worse in my case.
3. I mainly read information about the wellbeing services county in the papers and also search for some information online.
4. A nurse may visit an older person living alone two to three times a day. In this case, it would be a good idea not to change the nurse, but to have the same familiar nurse always visit the client.
5. I think that decision-makers should think about the structure and equality of pay. Decision-makers have very good salaries compared to employees.

1. I don’t have much to say about the new wellbeing services county. I’d love to talk about sports.
2. The new wellbeing services county hasn’t really been visible in my daily life so far.
3. I get information about the wellbeing services county in the newspapers and radio, I don’t watch television that much.
4. When developing services, older people and people with disabilities should be taken into account in many ways, there are so many different kinds of ailments. For me, exercise and sports are important. I would recommend them to anyone who are able to do them. I think that there are quite good opportunities for older people to exercise, at least in Matinkylä. I take the dog for walks in the waterfront walkway, it’s the best place to keep myself in shape.
5. My comment to decision-makers is that older people and persons with disabilities should be taken into account extensively in the wellbeing services county’s decisions.

1. There isn’t yet that much information about the new wellbeing services county, but the start of my journey with it may not have been quite successful.
2. The change can be seen in, for example, the fact that it’s been difficult to contact the person you need. I can’t find out where or to whom I can call or write, and who is the doctor. The wellbeing services county is still very new, so I haven’t seen any improvements.  
3. I receive information about the wellbeing services county mainly from the papers and the website.
4. Older people are taken into account fairly well in Kauniainen because there are many older people living here – almost one in two belongs to the walking stick or rollator gang. As there are many older people, it would be good to clarify what services are available, where, when and how? But the change is still very new, it will get better.
5. Decision-makers should try to identify themselves with the situation of older people. It would be important for them to place themselves in a role in which they themselves need help and to think about how they would like to be treated in that situation.

1. The new wellbeing services county hasn’t yet caused any changes for me.
2. As I haven’t yet needed services, it’s difficult to assess the wellbeing services county’s operations in more detail. Everything is as it used to be for me.
3. I receive information about the wellbeing services county from newspapers and online. I feel that there is enough information available. 
4. Older people should be taken into account in, for example, matters related to mobility. It may be difficult to access services if physical mobility causes difficulties or you don’t have a driving licence.
5. My comment to the decision-makers is that make sure that services are not cut or weakened in the new wellbeing services county. I’d also like to say that you should return to the previous model.

1. It’s very difficult to say anything about the new wellbeing services county because all of this is still so new. But I guess things aren’t changing much from what they were before.
2. The change is not visible in my daily life except for the fact that all phone numbers have changed in our area. You have to make a lot of effort to find them. I’ve been searching for the new numbers online and calling old numbers, which may give me the new number with any luck.
3. I get information about the wellbeing services county by reading newspapers, following the news and from a peer support group. I wish there would be more calm, non-confrontational discussions related to the wellbeing services county on the television. Foreign-language words should not be used, as even one keyword whose content cannot be understood can be decisive. Overall, I believe that more information about the wellbeing services county should be provided. 
4. Services for older people should not be weakened and made worse. It should be remembered that older people have already done their work, and they deserve good care and treatment.
5. There should be equality between small municipalities and people living in rural areas and centres. The same benefits and services supporting well-being should be available regardless of where your home is located.

1. I’m not convinced that the new system works in all cases.
2. I’ve seen the change in my daily life. Growing up in the countryside, there was a municipal doctor who referred you to the hospital when necessary. Now there are four levels, and the client needs to know with which level they need to operate. I think the call-back service is a very bad system. People have to wait for a call back. It should take only a few hours, but it can take longer without anyone reacting.
3. I have my own phone book for important numbers, and I keep a notebook. The numbers can then be found inside the same covers when I need them.
4. Older people should be taken into account by assigning them one responsible doctor who can always be contacted. It would be the best solution for the patient.
5. Not all older people know how to use the internet. It’s not good that most things happen online and using a phone is difficult in the current system.