Researchers address elderly care challenges in Northern Savonia, Finland

Researchers find it challenging to compensate for declining nursing home placements with home care services. Currently, over 300 elderly residents in Northern Savonia are on the waiting list for round-the-clock care. According to the welfare area, the main strategy for reducing these waiting lists is to increase home care services, such as mobile hospital services and home rehabilitation. Additionally, there are plans to promote communal living.

Leena Forma, a research director at the University of Eastern Finland, expresses skepticism about this plan. “The criteria for accessing round-the-clock care are already high. The need for assistance and care among these elderly individuals is so significant that it’s difficult to address through other means,” she explains.

Many elderly individuals awaiting long-term care are currently placed in hospital or health center wards. A recent study shows that one in five regular home care clients feels they do not receive sufficient support in their daily lives. Researcher Hanna Ristolainen acknowledges, “It’s positive that such services are being increased and developed. It may also delay the time when an elderly person requires round-the-clock care.”

However, she emphasizes that increasing home care services and promoting communal living are not solutions for those whose health has deteriorated to the point that they need continuous care. Furthermore, the Northern Savonia welfare area aims to save costs by boosting home services, but Leena Forma warns that this might lead to increased expenses elsewhere, as home care clients often end up in hospitals.

Both Forma and Ristolainen call for a broader societal discussion about the quality of care available to the elderly in Finland, including who bears the financial responsibility for these services. Ristolainen highlights the need for a more humane and value-driven approach to the conversation surrounding elderly care.