The Aged People in the Transitional Elder Care Policy and Service System in Northern Finland

Abstract

Finland is ageing rapidly and the challenges to meet the growing care needs of ageing population are evident. In Finland major health and social care reform is being planned. Previously the municipalities have been responsible for the health and social care services. In the near future there will be 18 counties in charge of health and social services instead of municipalities’. The services will be organized by the counties and produced by public, private and third sector service providers. The main ideas of current elder care policy are ageing in place, user involvement and responsibility and reducing costs.

In this chapter, I will discuss the complex and intertwined issues of current elder care policy, changing elder care service system and experiences and opinions of municipal officials and professionals in charge of services. What is discussed about ageing and aged people and service users? How do politicians and officials evaluate the current elder care service system and the role of older people in it? The data consists of national policy documents and views of northern municipal politicians and health care and social service officials in the centre of the reform and change. The qualitative content analysis applies to the data evaluation. Older people, aged users and old age appear in the national and local political and reform discussion at multiple levels and with myriad implications.