Services for older people
Shortly
- Wellbeing services counties organise health and social services for older people.
- The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities have published a quality recommendation to ensure good ageing and effective services for older people for 2024–2027.
- Since 2025, the minimum staffing level for 24-hour care has been 0.6 carers per client.
- The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) and the Regional State Administrative Agencies supervise the quality of services, and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) produces information on services for and the functional capacity of older people.
Where can older people acquire information about public services?
Wellbeing services counties organise health and social services for older people. The social security of older people consists of health and social services and income security.
An information package on issues related to the life situation of and public services for older people and their close relatives is available on the Suomi.fi portal.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, together with the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities, has published a quality recommendation to ensure good ageing and effective services for all older people who need them.
For more information and support, please contact your wellbeing services county.
What is the legislative basis for services and benefits for older people?
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health sets the guidelines for developing services for older people, prepares the relevant legislation and guides the implementation of reforms.
Finnish law entitles people to healthcare and social welfare services primarily according to their need for services, not according to their age in particular.
What is the minimum staffing level for 24-hour care for older people?
Since the beginning of 2025, the minimum staffing level for 24-hour services for older people has been 0.6 carers per client.
The key objective of the statutory minimum staffing level is to secure the right of older people to indispensable care and sufficient health and social services and to implement the equality and inclusion of older people in society.
As a result of the amendment (741/2024) that entered into force on 1 January 2025, the staffing level must be at least 0.6 employees per client.
- Press release: Minimum staffing level for 24-hour care for older people set at 0.6 employees per client (in Finnish)
Who supervises the quality of services for older people and produces information on these services?
The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) is the national supervisory authority for social welfare. It guides the Regional State Administrative Agencies to ensure that services for older people are supervised and guided on uniform grounds throughout the country.
- Healthcare and social welfare services for older people (Valvira)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab (in Finnish)
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) produces information on services for older people and on the functional capacity and prerequisites of older people.
Further information
Satu Karppanen, Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity / YTO, Functional Capacity Unit / TOK Telephone:0295163549 Email Address: firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Seija Viljamaa, Senior Specialist
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity / YTO, Functional Capacity Unit / TOK Telephone:0295163609 Email Address: firstname.lastname@gov.fi