Institutional care for the elderly will be replaced by 24-hour service housing

There are still three institutional care units in the housing services for older people in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. They will become 24-hour service housing units. The reform is related to the reform of the Act on the Care Services for Older Persons*, which was carried out in autumn 2022.

According to Section 14 of the Act on the Care Services for Older Persons, the wellbeing services county must organise long-term care that supports an older person’s valuable life primarily through outpatient services provided to their home and other social and health care services, and care cannot be provided in an institutional service unit under the Social Welfare Act. The reform must be implemented no later than 2027. 

“In the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, long-term care for the elderly is already mainly provided as 24-hour service housing. For the remaining units, the reform will be implemented from 1 January 2024 onward. After the change, the wellbeing services county will have more than 30 units with 24-hour service housing. We will also purchase services from approximately 50 private nursing homes,” explains Elina Kylmänen, Service Line Manager for housing services for the elderly.

In addition to the Act, the change is also guided by the service strategy of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. The aim is to respond to the residents’ needs with suitable services that are not too heavy and not too light.

“Client focus is an important aspect in housing services for older people. As the service format changes from institutional care to housing, we can provide clients with more individualised services.”

How will the reform be visible to clients of housing services for older people and their family members?

Even after the reform, care for the elderly will be provided according to individual needs in a familiar nursing home by familiar nurses.

“The services of the wellbeing services county will not deteriorate with the reform, nor will the services of individual clients be reduced. Clients can stay in their current nursing homes. Employees taking care of older people will remain the same, and familiar nurses will continue to look after older people,” explains Kylmänen. 

The reform aims to support living at home, increase home-like services and promote older people’s freedom of choice. Despite the support they need, it is important for the elderly to be able to lead as normal and good everyday life as possible.

“In 24-hour service housing, older people have their own home, which they can furnish and decorate with their own items and for which they pay rent. Elderly people can lead a life of their own at their own pace,” says Kylmänen.

The reform will not cause major changes for housing services personnel.

Working in a multiprofessional team in housing services for older people is very fruitful and rewarding. In this line of work, you get to meet wonderful people and help them to lead a good life. Thanks to staffing, there is no rush, with the exception of special situations.
 

Further Information: 
Sari Suurjoki-Niemi, 
Housing Services Specialist
tel. +358 400 416 798

*Laki ikääntyneen väestön toimintakyvyn tukemisesta sekä iäkkäiden sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluista (in English: Act on Supporting the Functional Capacity of the Older Population and on Social and Health Care Services for Older Persons)