City of Espoo

Aging Policy
 Espoo: Second largest city in
Finland
• Population 250 000
– City of children and young
adults,
– Number of elderly is growing,
+ 65 y. 26 000 persons,
+75 y. 11 00 persons

• Neighbour cities
Helsinki and Vantaa
• Area of Espoo: 528 km2
– Coastline 58 km, 95 lakes,
165 islands
 The Mission and the Vision of the
new Aging Policy Program in city
of Espoo

The mission of the new Aging Policy Program is in

line with the city’s mission: "The City of Espoo
creates opportunities for good quality of life".

The program’s vision is "Full life in old age". The

aim of the program is to change the service
culture.
 The Leading Principles of the Aging Policy
Program
Living at home is a priority, regardless of the decline in handling daily activities
• Supporting elderly citizens living at home

Service provision is based on preventive and rehabilitating efforts

• Implementation of effective means for preventive care and new forms of care
• Integration of services

Successful aging in a sociocultural context

• Self-determination (“citizens have the right to decide”)
• Empowerment of the elderly (seeing the elderly as subjects rather than objects)
• Involvement of senior citizens

24/7 care is delivered in home-like living environments

• Hospital care focuses on acute care and geriatric rehabilitation
• From organisation-centredness towards genuine client- and family-centredness
• From narrow functional-capacity thinking towards a more holistic view aiming for high
quality of life
• Long-term care in home-like surroundings
• Application of new technology
• Continuous quality improvement
• Development towards a value-generating system
 Methods how municipalities support
elderly living at home (in Finland)

Scaled services

Assistive Funtional capacity

Appliances
Activity
technology
Security technology Safety independent Community
linving at home
for senior citizen
Social surroundings
Renovation

Residence Constructed
Nearby services
environment

Barrier-free (Välikangas 2006)

environment
 ELDERLY CARE SERVICES IN ESPOO ARE ORGANISED
TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AGING POPULATION

Elderly population
Customer flow management

Preventive Espoo
services Home care Long-term care
Hospital

Other social and health services

Healthy seniors Level of disability Fully dependent

Together with the
Citizens
 Facilities for Full Life in Old Age
Vision of the new Policy: Full life in old age
Social activity
Information easily - taste of life Security
available Availability and
Preconditions accessibility
Barrier-free Participating
and well- Skilled and innovative
functioning
leadership
personnel Basic services
environment Living at home
Comprehensive responding needs Preventive and in the first place
home care ’ participating services
s tea
s tomer m
Fluent acute care Cu Integrated
and effective
t ion Co
un
rehabilitation a
Continous
or Freedom of choice selin
m care Productivity
quality f g and
improvement Seamless care
In SENIOR CITIZEN Multiple services cost-
for demented + family in Life and Living effectiveness
elderly Empowerment -units

Efficient services Guidance End of life care

for mental disorders full of life
and alcohol abuse Sufficient
Flexible services for income
carers
Utilization of
Services based on Clear and seamless
new technology
evidence and processes Regional needs
recommendations

Multicultural Shared
orientation responsibility
 Espoo Hospital
Back to life and living

Special Health care

Acute illness wards Rehabilitation wards

Emergency Cognitive impairment

Geriatric team
Interval care Home care Lomg-term care

Life and
Primary health clinic Home living
1.3.2013
9
 Trends: change of longterm inpatient
care services within Elderly Care in
Espoo, Finland

Number of
beds (inpatient
care and
sheltered All units:
housing) ”Live and
Sheltered reside”
Longterm housing
care total

Longterm
inpatient care in
hospitals and
other institutions

2007 Demographic trend: more population over 75 2025

 Aim in 2018
• All units are of Live and reside -type
• Houses functionally versatile: no gradation
based on residents’ functional capacity
Gradually towards ”Live • Day centers included in every house: more
possibilities for residents to participate in
and reside” –model in the everyday life
• Units situated regionally
City of Espoo
Gradually
Situation in 2011 towards
Graded units for different functional ”residing for
capacity of the residents: the rest of the
• sheltered housing life”
-ordinary Minimum 50
-with 24-hour assistance residences/unit
• residential homes
• long term hospital care
Residents have to move many times Well-planned transformation:
• New client-centered service
culture
•New management and
leadership style
• Renovation of old buildings
No regional • New buildings to be built
distribution
Different sizes
(13-100 beds)