Lumijoki families fear elderly residents will be moved far away

Families in Lumijoki fear elderly residents will be relocated far from their loved ones when the Lumilyhty shared housing unit closes in November. Yle reports that the unit’s nine residents will need new accommodation.

Maarit Lapinlampi, whose mother has dementia, can currently visit her several times a week. She worries that her mother’s next home could be in another municipality, making visits more difficult. Her mother repeatedly asks where she will be moving.

Other relatives are also concerned. Anne Meskus said her mother-in-law, who has dementia, keeps calling to ask about the move. Families remember a previous round of relocations after a round-the-clock care unit in Lumilyhty closed in 2025, when residents were moved to Ii, Muhos, Oulu and Raahe.

The Northern Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county, known as Pohde, plans to save 18 million euros from services and operations for older people over two years, according to a draft service plan. It says it will find accommodation suited to each resident and arrange moves safely, in cooperation with residents and their relatives.

Pohde says Lumilyhty no longer meets the required criteria for shared housing. Residents must have their own apartment with suitable facilities for storing and preparing food, as well as a private toilet and hygiene facilities, according to the Permit and Supervisory Authority. Pohde also says Lumilyhty is too small to operate economically, with staffing levels high compared with the number of residents.

Lumijoen municipal manager Heidi Soini said she understood the pressure to make savings but was saddened by the closure. She said she had not been shown calculations of the savings.