Improving social welfare and health care services
Older people must have access to the social welfare and healthcare services they need within a reasonable time, and these services must be of high quality and safe. In particular, the availability and quality of services for older people must be improved.
Older people’s right to social welfare and healthcare services
Under the Constitution of Finland, older people have the same right as the rest of the population to adequate social welfare and healthcare services. Older people are a key user group of both primary and specialised healthcare services. Important social services for older people include home care and other services supporting independent living at home, communal housing, 24-hour residential care, and family care.
Why do social welfare and health care services need to be improved?
There have long been serious shortcomings in the fulfilment of the fundamental right of older people to social welfare and healthcare services. An increasing number of older people are left without adequate help, support and care. All too often, their needs are not identified, or services are unable to adequately respond to them.
Older people and their family members frequently contact the Ombudsman for Older People to report the severe difficulties, or even impossibility, of accessing the social welfare and healthcare services they need. Concerns about the quality of services also arise frequently.
Statistics and research indicate that the availability of social services specifically intended for older people has declined.
Recommendations of the Ombudsman for Older People
The Ombudsman for Older People recommends the following measures to improve the availability and quality of social welfare and healthcare services, including services specifically intended for older people:
- Improve access to 24-hour care, home care and support services for home care so that they meet the needs of older people.
- Prepare legislation without delay to safeguard older people’s right to self-determination and their safety in 24-hour care.
- Improve timely access to healthcare services by shortening the statutory maximum waiting time for treatment, so that older people receive care in a timely manner throughout the country.
- Ensure the availability of services supporting informal care and strengthen support for informal carers.
- Strengthen the statutory status of rehabilitative day activities to ensure that older people have access to them throughout the country to support living at home and informal care.
- Develop a comprehensive programme for improving services for older people to ensure the realisation of their fundamental and human rights and the adequacy of social welfare and healthcare services for people of all ages.
Read more about the topic
Organisations, the Human Rights Centre and the Ombudsman for Older People (2026). Older people’s rights to humane care must be safeguarded. Position statement on improvements to the availability and quality of 24-hour sheltered housing and on ensuring that older people have the right to self-determination in services. 30 March 2026.
Ombudsman for Older People (2024). Report to Parliament by the Ombudsman for Older People 2024..
Ombudsman for Older People (2026). Solutions of the Ombudsman for Older People on improvements to the availability of home care and on strengthening clients’ rights. Solutions for effective age policy 1/2026.
Ombudsman for Older People (2026). The right to a safe old age. Report to the Government by the Ombudsman for Older People 2025.