Report finds home care access varies across Finnish regions

Older people’s access to home care varies widely depending on where they live, a new report from Finland’s Institute for Health and Welfare finds, Yle reports. In 2025, regular home care reached between 23 and 40 percent of people aged 85 and over across wellbeing services regions, and between 38 and 70 percent of those aged 95 and over.

The share of people receiving regular home care was highest in Kainuu. It was lowest in Central Uusimaa among people aged 85 and over, and in North Karelia among those aged 95 and over.

Institute leading expert Sari Kehusmaa said the differences showed that the goal of equal services was not being met. She called for rapid changes to home care provision in several regions, saying services would need to expand as demand grows.

About 110,000 people received regular home care last year. The total number of home care clients rose by more than 1,000, or about 1 percent, compared with 2024. The number receiving regular care increased by more than 2,000, or about 2 percent.

Home care providers made 40.8 million visits, including 38 million in-person visits and 2.8 million remote contacts. The average visit lasted 21 minutes, with regional averages ranging from 18 to 25 minutes. Average visit length has remained stable, although the longer-term trend has been downward.

Remote contacts increased by about a quarter from the previous year, but their share of visits varied by region. They accounted for 15 percent of visits to regular home care clients in Helsinki and Central Uusimaa, compared with less than 1 percent in Eastern Uusimaa.