Official informal care starts

Informal care is official when the informal carer has signed a commission agreement with the wellbeing services county on caring for their loved one.

With a commission agreement, you are not in an employment relationship with the wellbeing services county, but the wellbeing services county pays you a monthly fee. The wellbeing services county also insures you against nighttime accidents during care tasks.

It is good to note that support for informal care is a package that includes not only the informal care fee but also the informal carer’s leave and other necessary services.

Decision on support for informal care

Before concluding an agreement on support for informal care, the client manager makes a decision on granting support for informal care. The written decision indicates the criteria for granting or not granting the support for informal care. The decision is eligible for a claim for rectification within 30 days after the receipt of the decision.

Informal care agreement

When the decision is positive, a commission agreement on informal care is drawn up between the informal carer and the wellbeing services county. The informal carer does not have an employment relationship with the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County or the care recipient.

The informal care agreement contains the following information:

amount and payment method of the care fee
the right to statutory leave
organisation of the leave
duration of the agreement
payment of the care fee when care is interrupted
termination of the agreement

As a rule, the agreement is valid until further notice. The decision and agreement are reviewed annually or if the need for assistance / informal care changes significantly. The informal carer is obliged to report if there are changes in the care or circumstances, or if the informal care is interrupted.

The plan for support for informal care

is attached to the informal care agreement
includes the amount and content of care provided by the informal carer
the amount and content of other social welfare and health care services necessary for the care recipient
the amount and content of social welfare services to support the carer’s care task
how the care recipient’s care is arranged during the carer’s leave, healthcare-related appointments or other absences

Fee payment

The care fee is paid to the informal carer on the 15th day of the month.
The fee is taxable income and may affect other benefits.
You need to request a tax card from the tax office for the informal care fee
You do not need to submit the tax card separately to the wellbeing services county; the information on a valid tax card is transferred to Oima electronically

Oima service

Informal care agreements are concluded and fees are paid in the Oima system
Oima can be used on a computer, tablet or mobile phone
In the service, informal carers can for example sign the agreement electronically, check their own agreements, payslips and accrual of leave, and report the interruption of informal care and submit notifications of leave taken
The substitute informal carers’ agreements and actual care days are also notified in Oima
Instructions for using the Oima service and other useful information about it are compiled on the page www.luvn.fi/en/oima-service
If necessary, you can ask for guidance from the office secretary for support for informal care tel. 029 1515 856 (Mon, Tues 9:00–10:30 in Finnish and Wed 9:00–10:30 in Swedish)

The informal care family receives a designated contact person, the informal care client manager, who supports and assists in questions and situations related to informal care.

Reach out to your contact person when

there have been changes in the informal care situation (such as changes in the need for care or if your own resources have deteriorated)
you want to arrange leave days for yourself
you have an accident during care work, and submitting an accident report is relevant
your address or other contact information changes
you want to terminate the informal care agreement
the informal care has been interrupted either because of you (such as you falling ill) or because of your care recipient (such as hospitalisation)
you need advice on acting as an informal carer or support for coping

Payment of the care fee is suspended:

after 30 days if the interruption is because of the care recipient’s state of health
after 5 days if the interruption is due to some other reason.
after 30 days if the informal carer and/or care recipient are staying abroad.
at the end of the month if informal care becomes unnecessary (such as moving to a care home, the care recipient passes away)
when the contract ends

When an informal carer falls ill, the wellbeing services county is obliged to organise care for the informal carer’s care recipient.

Informal carer’s leave

Informal carer’s leave is an important part of the informal carer’s wellbeing and coping. It is important to ensure that you have enough time for yourself for recovery and meaningful activities. There are several options for arranging care during the informal carer’s leave. On this page, you can find information on the accumulation of informal care leave and the options for organising the leave.

Informal carer’s leave

Training and coaching for informal carers

The Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County organises training and coaching for informal carers on various themes. Check out upcoming training and coaching events on this page. You can also find related videos on this page.

Training and coaching for informal carers

Downloadable files

Download file: Crisis situations in informal care.pdf.Crisis situations in informal care.pdf

Official informal care starts

Decision on support for informal care

Informal care agreement

The plan for support for informal care

Fee payment

Oima service

Reach out to your contact person when

Payment of the care fee is suspended:

Informal carer’s leave

Training and coaching for informal carers

Downloadable files

Go back on the path to Applying for support for informal care

Go back on the path to Applying for support for informal care

Go forward on the path to Harder times of informal care

Go forward on the path to Harder times of informal care

Return to the Informal Carer’s Pathway main page

Return to the Informal Carer’s Pathway main page

Official informal care starts

Informal care agreement, decision and plan for support for informal care

Fee payment and Oima service

When to reach out to my designated contact person?

Informal carers’ health examination

Informal carer’s leave

Training and coaching for informal carers

Downloadable files

Go back on the path to Applying for support for informal care

Go forward on the path to Harder times of informal care

Return to the Informal Carer’s Pathway main page