Lumijoki files appeal over cancelled elderly care home closure

The small municipality of Lumijoki has filed a precautionary request for rectification over the planned closure of the Lumilyhty elderly care home, even though the decision has already been revoked, Yle reports.

Lumilyhty is a communal housing unit for older people in Lumijoki. The municipality’s governing board said it wanted to ensure that its position on the planned closure was clearly recorded.

The decision to close Lumilyhty and another service home in Utajärvi was made by Mervi Koski, director of the elderly services division at Pohde, the North Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county. After the plans received widespread publicity, Pohde’s board used its call-in power, effectively revoking Koski’s decision.

Lumijoki Municipal Manager Heidi Soini said it remained unclear what Pohde intended to do. Comments from Pohde published in the local Rantalakeus newspaper had suggested that the decision might still be implemented, despite the board having used its call-in power.

Soini said she asked members of Pohde’s board whether the county planned to make a new decision or implement the existing one, but received no clear answer.

“That is why the municipal board decided to file a request for rectification,” Soini said.

She acknowledged that the municipality’s action might appear unusual after the decision had already been revoked. However, the municipal board wanted to ensure that Lumijoki’s position was known and that it had used its right to seek rectification.

“We filed the request in case the decision is nevertheless implemented as it stands. We wanted to ensure that we had exercised our right to seek rectification and that we would retain the possibility of appealing the decision, if necessary, to an administrative court,” Soini said.

According to Lumijoki’s request, Koski’s closure decision had been inadequately prepared. The decision stated, among other things, that the unit did not have enough shower facilities.

The municipality inspected the premises and said that every apartment had its own toilet and shower.