Support for Informal Care in the City of Helsinki

Tarja KivekäsHead of Social and Contact WorkResponsibility of Elderly ServicesSocial Services Department

65+ Population Prognosis in Finland65+ Population Prognosis in Finland ((Central Statistics, Finland: February 2005Central Statistics, Finland: February 2005))

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1900 1950 1990 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2010 2020 2030 2040

65+ (%)

THE ELDERLY CITIZENS OF HELSINKI 1980-2007

AND THE PROGNOSIS UNTIL 2025

0

10 000

20 000

30 000

40 000

50 000

60 000

70 000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

65-74-vuotiaat

75-84-vuotiaat

Yli 85-vuotiaat

The Population of Helsinki by age group

(January 2006)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

0v 1-6v 7-15v 16-49v.

50-64 65-74v75-84v 85+v

5 892 30 992 48 746

287 579

109 834

40 51927 297

10 046

Support for informal care in Helsinki

• Many ways to support informal care families• Municipal services

– Caregivers allowance – Short term care in institutions

– Day care for the elderly– Centres for informal care– Occasional help to families (1-4 hours) who are recieving caregivers

allowance, not home care – Peer support for caregivers– Home care– Social workers services

• Support from voluntary organisations: information and guidance, peer groups, courses, home help, recreation events, projects etc.

• Services from the church: peer groups, recreation events etc.

The aim of the law of informal care

• To promote the care of person who is receiving informal care

• To ensure adequate social and health care services

• To ensure the continuity of care

• To support the role of caregivers

The amount of the people who have recieved caregivers

allowance in 2007

• The disabled 791 • The mentally disabled 481• The elderly (over 65 ) 1852• Totally 3113

The amounts of caregivers allowance in 2008

According to category of care intensity

one 1320 e/month

two 662 e /monththree 448 e /monthfour 317 e/month

Who can receive caregivers allowance?

• The person who needs care at home because of lowered funtional capacity, sickness, disability or other reason

• The relative- a spouse, partner or children – or some other person close to client is ready to take care of her/him

• Caregivers own health and funtional capacity are adequate enough to the requirements of care

• Informal care with other social and health services is sufficient for the welfare, health and security of the person who needs care

• Home is suitable for health and other circumstances to the carer

Three free days a month

• People recieving a caregivers allowance are entitled to 3 free days in a month during a period when the nature of the care they have provided has been very demanding

• During this time the municipality is responsible for providing care to the client– Short-term care in elderly care home or service

house or help to home

• Substitute for the caregiver

Other forms to support the families

• Day care for the elderly• Centres for informal care

– Now three, coming one more still– Network model

• Occasional help to home (1-4 hours)to families who are recieving caregivers allowance, not home care

• Peer groups for people who are receiving caregivers allowance– Municipals, voluntary organisations, church

Developing the informal care in Helsinki

• The aim is to enlarge informal care• Secure sufficient services under the free time of

caregiver • Support informal care families by many

alternative ways• 4 centres for informal care• Developing day care for the needs of informal

care families• Exploit experiences of the caregivers• Strenghten co-operation with partners