Improved services recommended for elderly

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities have issued a new quality recommendation to guarantee a good quality of life and improved services for older people in 2020–2023.

The new recommendation will replace the earlier versions, said an official press release.

At the same time, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will publish a horizontal programme on ageing that helps to prepare for the social effects of the ageing population in the longer term.

The programme was prepared jointly by different ministries, municipalities, third-sector organisations and other actors.

The thematic areas that both the quality recommendation and the programme on ageing aim to promote are similar.

They deal with guaranteeing the functional capacity of older people, utilising technologies to improve the wellbeing of older people, strengthening the role of voluntary work, increasing the age-friendliness of housing and living environments, and providing customer-oriented services.

The quality recommendation gives recommendations for each of these thematic areas and highlights good practices in each area to support the implementation of the recommendations.

The programme on ageing, in turn, includes a development project or a set of measures for each thematic area which will be implemented during the present government’s term. Based on the results and experiences gained from them, a government resolution will be prepared by the end of this term to provide guidelines for the development work until 2030.

Age-friendly operating models will combine housing and services in a new way. The aim is to offer the older population better chances of living at home, to anticipate future housing and service needs and to ensure high-quality care and a comfortable environment for those who need care round the clock.