Finnish rehabilitation centres adapt services to survive funding cuts and remote alternatives

Finnish rehabilitation centres are expanding their services to stay afloat amid funding reductions by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) and the rise of remote rehabilitation, reports Yle.

The Kankaanpää rehabilitation centre, now operating under the name Kunnonlähde, has opened its own medical clinic and will launch round-the-clock care services in April. The move comes as traditional rehabilitation services face declining demand due to Kela’s budget cuts and the shift toward online programmes.

Kela’s discretionary funding for rehabilitation dropped from around €78 million in 2022 to €68 million last year, forcing centres to innovate. Some, like Kunnonlähde, have diversified into elderly care, while others have struggled—including Kyyhkylä Oy in Mikkeli, which went bankrupt after delays in securing public contracts for its new care services.

“For us, this wasn’t yet a life-or-death situation, but it would have become one,” said Harri Aho, CEO of Kunnonlähde Kankaanpää. The centre, built in the 1990s, once hosted thousands of patients annually but now faces reduced occupancy and meal service demand as more courses go virtual.

Other facilities, such as Kruunupuisto in Punkaharju, have also pivoted to care housing, calling it “vital” for survival. Meanwhile, industry observers warn that slower public-sector processes risk pushing more providers into financial distress.