Helsinki elderly service centres stay closed till yearend

The elderly service centres in Helsinki will remain closed at least until the end of 2020, following the increasing trend of coronavirus outbreak in recent months.

The opening of service centres will be re-evaluated at the end of the year and the further update in this regard will be announced in December, said the City of Helsinki in a press release on Monday.

“We have received a lot of requests from our customers to reopen our activities. We, too, would like to see our customers again soon, but now we have to put the safety of our customers first,’ said Kamppi Service Centre Director Tuija Epäilysin in a statement.

‘The number of coronavirus infections has increased considerably in the Helsinki area. As our customers belong to risk groups, we have assessed, together with the Epidemiologic Operations Unit, that we are not yet able to reopen service centre activities,’ said Western Service District Director Maarit Rautio.

The reopening of day activities is currently being looked into. The aim is to gradually reopen the activities to those customers whose situation is particularly challenging.

‘We are closely monitoring the situation of the pandemic together with the Epidemiologic Activities Unit. We understand that reopening the day activities is very important, especially for informal carers. However, this is also a matter in which we must put the safety of our customers first,’ added Rautio.

The reopening of day activities will be announced separately as soon as it becomes possible.

Service centres are open meeting places for Helsinki residents who are retired or unemployed. At service centres, people can participate in various hobby groups, go to the gym and receive service guidance from social instructors, among other things.

Older people’s day activities are organised, for example, for people over the age of 65 who have a memory disorder and live at home. Day activities also support the informal carers’ coping.