Helsinki introduces Mobile Nurse service for persons with disabilities

Residents of Disability Service’s housing units who are over the age of 18 now have access to services provided by mobile nurses, said the City of Helsinki in a press release on Monday.

The new service will help the patients to receive treatment quickly and avoid unnecessary visits to the emergency services.

In many acute health changes, clients can be treated at home in their own housing units.

“The Mobile Nurse service has been used in care services for the elderly and home care for a couple of years now, and the experiences have been very positive. We have successfully reduced the number of unnecessary visits to emergency services that are straining for the elderly,” said Laura Pikkarainen, Medical Director of Hospital Services at Helsinki.

The same service has now been introduced in the city’s housing services that provide round-the-clock care for persons with disabilities.

A mobile nurse is available to the Disability Services on weekdays at 15.00–21.00 and at weekends and on mid-week holidays at 8.00–21.00.

If employees notice any concerning changes in a client’s condition, they can call an on-call doctor, who will assess the situation and, if necessary, send a mobile nurse for a visit.

“This service has been much-requested and long-awaited. Clients in particular benefit from the service as they receive the help and treatment they need in the comfort of their own home in a flexible and timely manner,” said Soile Härkönen from the Disability Services.

Mobile nurses’ work is constantly developing along with the needs of the field.

“We, nurses have also been looking forward to the service being expanded to Disability Services. We have been working in smooth cooperation, and both clients and the nursing staff have been happy with our help,” said Teija-Liisi Kontkanen, who works as a mobile nurse in Service Centre Helsinki.