At 93, Helka Kivelä cares for her 96-year-old husband at home

Helka Kivelä, 93, has been the primary caregiver for her husband Jussi, 96, at their home in Järvenpää since he suffered a stroke in January 2017, reports Yle.

The stroke left Jussi, a former colonel, with severe hearing loss and limited mobility. Helka, a retired teacher, took on the role without hesitation, saying it was only natural after 70 years of marriage.

“We’re just two old codgers,” she said.

Jussi now spends much of his time sleeping, while Helka manages daily routines, from preparing medication to coordinating visits from home care services, which arrive three times a week. A logbook in the hallway tracks tasks like shaving, nail trimming, and foot care, performed by a rotating team of six carers.

Finland’s aging population has increased demand for informal caregiving. In 2024, 62,000 people were registered as family caregivers, while roughly 350,000 provided primary care for a relative. The number of people over 85 is projected to double by 2045.

Publicly funded home care has declined for years, a trend Sari Kehusmaa of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare calls concerning. Sari Tervonen, executive director of the Family Caregivers’ Association, warns the system increasingly relies on relatives, often elderly women caring for spouses with conditions like dementia.

“Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is caring for whom in an aging couple or among siblings,” Tervonen said. She notes many caregivers are unaware of their entitlements, such as respite days, which often go unused.

Helka admits she has only recently begun taking short naps herself, something she never needed before. “There’s always so much to do, but if I sleep for an hour or so, I can keep going until evening.”

Despite the strain, she remains committed to keeping Jussi at home. “I always wonder how he manages when others can’t understand him, but he always does.”