Health and wellbeing in old age - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
On average, people live long lives in Finland
People in Finland now live around 30 years longer than a century ago. This is due to improvements in the standard of living and better healthcare. The life expectancy of girls born in 2022 is 84 years, and 79 years for boys. People usually retire in Finland at age 63–68, which means that people may still have a long, active and functional stage of life at that time.
In Finland, people are considered young adults at age 20–35 and middle-aged at 40–60. In Finnish, somebody who has turned 65, is called “ikääntynyt” (elderly), and someone over 75 years of age is called “vanhus” (old person).
Now, older people in Finland often live independently or with their spouse. Due to the National Pensions Act which came into force in 1957, this is now possible. The National Pensions Act guaranteed every senior a pension, even if they did not work.
Older people used to live at home with their family and the same household may have been home to many generations. Families took care of each other. If an elderly person had no family, they had to live in institutions meant for the elderly where the conditions were very modest.
When women began to work outside the home and family sizes decreased, taking care of older people at home became more challenging. At the same time, the standard of living increased, which provided the elderly new opportunities for independent life.
It is important to take care of health and wellbeing even at an older age
When a person grows old, it is important that they continue to take care of their health. Maintaining health, wellbeing and functional abilities grows more significant with age. Growing older causes changes in the human body. Mobility is more difficult and one may have less strength. One may have issues with memory. Different illnesses can change the body and limit a person’s functioning. Common illnesses of the elderly in Finland include memory disorders, diabetes, heart diseases, lung diseases and cancer.
You can impact health and wellbeing with your own lifestyle throughout life. A person’s functioning remain high when they meet other people and remain active. It is also beneficial to eat a versatile diet, exercise, avoid obesity, refrain from smoking and alcohol or only drink moderate amounts of alcohol. Good functioning enables people to take care of themselves and their own home every day.
Exercise has many positive effects. It strengthens the bones and maintains the condition of muscles. Balance, mobility and flexibility remain good and joints stay healthy. Suitable exercise can improve the condition of the heart and lungs as well as sleep quality. Exercise may also give you good feelings.
Many life crises, changes and losses may affect a person’s mood. Good everyday life supports an older person’s mental wellbeing. As a person grows older, their memory often deteriorates and they forget things. It is important to enjoy one’s life and seek joy at all ages. An active life and meeting other people bring joy. Municipalities organise free time activities for the elderly. Many associations, organisations and parishes organise activities and clubs.
Many older people in Finland do volunteer work because they want to remain active and impact society. Volunteer work brings joy to the person doing it. Volunteer work can be, for example, helping families with children or lonely people.
More information about taking care of one’s own health: Taking care of your own health and wellbeing.
Different care services are available for the elderly
Wellbeing services counties are responsible for services for the elderly. These services include housing services as well as health and social services. If an older person needs the services of their wellbeing services county, the authority in the area will evaluate their need for services. The wellbeing services county provides services according to individual needs.
More information about services for the elderly: Elderly (infofinland.fi)
Wellbeing services counties support older people living at home
Home is an important place for everyone. Older people in Finland often live in their own homes either alone or with their spouse. Most people wish to live in their own home even when they are old. It can however be challenging to live alone. It may be more difficult to move around alone, hearing and vision may deteriorate, and it may be difficult to remember things.
Changes can be made to the home or its surroundings to make living at home easier. For example, doors can be made wider and thresholds can be removed. It is important for a person to feel safe at home.
Home care and home nursing help with everyday matters and illness
Wellbeing services counties can arrange home care (kotihoito) or home nursing (kotisairaanhoito) for the elderly. Home care workers help the elderly with things they are no longer able to do independently. These include eating, going to the bathroom or shower, and getting dressed.
If the older person requires home nursing, a nurse can be sent to their home. Home nursing must be requested through one’s own health station.
Home care and home nursing is organised by both wellbeing services counties and private companies. The municipality can provide service vouchers (palveluseteli) for buying care services from companies. The service purchased with a service voucher is an alternative to the services of the wellbeing services county.
Meal delivery services help everyday life
Living at home can be supported by ordering a meal delivery service (ateriapalvelu). The meal delivery service delivers ready meals at home either every day or a couple of times a week.
Security services are meant to support living at home
A security service (turvapalvelu) or an emergency phone (turvapuhelin) is meant for people who have difficulties managing alone or who have an illness. The emergency phone can be a bracelet alarm. When the person pushes the button on the bracelet alarm, they can contact the emergency services at any time.
An informal caregiver takes care of a family member at home
Sometimes the family of an older person wants to take care of them at home. This means that a family member provides care and the wellbeing services county can pay the caregiver pay support for informal care (omaishoidon tuki). This pay support can be provided if the older person needs constant help, the care is demanding and it requires strong commitment. The informal caregiver is also entitled to days off.
Day centres provide activities for the elderly
Municipal day centres (päiväkeskus) organise daytime activities for the elderly. These activities support home care, help the older person to manage at home and support the wellbeing of informal caregivers. Older people can spend time at the day centre and meet other people. They can also participate in sport, recreational or cultural services such as theatre performances. The wellbeing services county organises transportation to the day centre and usually offers a meal. A separate fee may be collected for the transportation service.
The staff helps with everyday tasks at an assisted living facility
When a person is no longer able to live in their own home, the wellbeing services county can arrange an apartment for them in an assisted living facility or an institution. Assisted living facilities are also organised by private companies. The goal of assisted living is that the elderly person would have a safe and dignified life. The older person usually pays for assisted living themselves.
An older person can live in an assisted living facility when they require help and care around the clock. There is always staff present at an assisted living facility. Every resident in the facility has their own apartment or room, and there are a lot of common spaces. The personal apartment can be furnished and decorated with personal items.
Institutional care provides care around the clock
If a person is no longer able to live at home or at an assisted living facility, they are transferred to institutional care (laitoshoito). A person in institutional care requires constant care which cannot be arranged safely anywhere else. An older person may require the help of many nurses every day, for example, due to an illness.
If the family so wishes, they can participate in the care of the older person in institutional care. The goal of institutional care is to maintain the functional capabilities of the elderly, improve their quality of life and their condition.
More information about supported and service housing: Supported and service housing (infofinland.fi)
Wellbeing services counties can provide aids, guidance and transportation services
Older people can borrow aids from health stations. These can be mobility aids such as walking sticks or rollators. A rollator is an aid which you can lean on while walking.
You own wellbeing services county’s health and social services provide guidance and services. The county can grant parking permits for the elderly or disabled, and transportation services to help them move about.
A person over the age of 65 can receive a pensioner discount for transportation and hobbies
In Finland, people over the age of 65 can receive a pensioner discount when taking the bus, train or ferry. The pensioner discount is typically 10–15 % off the ticket price. Pensioner discounts are also granted for many sports and cultural hobbies, for example, swimming hall tickets or tickets to the theatre or concerts.
Pensioners under the age of 65 can also receive pensioner discounts. In order to receive these discounts, you must prove that you are retired by showing a pension card.