Vast majority of round-the-clock nursing units for the elderly meet the statutory staffing requirement, six percent below the minimum

Last November, 94% of round-the-clock nursing units for the elderly met the statutory staffing requirement. At the end of last year, the minimum staffing requirement was 0.5 caregivers per patient. 6% of the units did not meet the minimum requirement. Out of these, 77% were public service provider units.

These figures are presented in the Status of Older People Services Survey, which includes information on the staffing of 1,532 round-the-clock nursing units for the elderly. 

The calculation of staffing includes enhanced assisted living units, old people's homes and long-term care units in health centres. The information was collected during three weeks in November 2020.

In 2023, the staffing requirement will be raised to 0.7

The statutory staffing requirement for round-the-clock nursing units for the elderly will increase gradually. When the Act on Supporting the Functional Capacity of the Older Population and on Social and Health Services for Older Persons came into effect on 1 October 2020, the minimum requirement was 0.5 caregivers per resident. The data collection in November studied how this requirement is met in practice. 

From the beginning of 2021, the staffing requirement has been at least 0.55 employees per resident, and this will rise to a minimum of 0.6 at the beginning of 2022. Finally, on 1 April 2023, the required staffing level will be 0.7. 

Based on the survey, at the beginning of the transition period, the units have hired mainly support service employees, such as nursing assistants, domestic assistants, care assistants and other assisting personnel. The number of practical nurses and nurses has not increased. The total increase of staff is 1,120.

The aim of the legislative reform is to ensure that the nursing staff has more time for customers.

“In light of the results, we have achieved this aim. Units have hired more support workers for cleaning, food services and clothing care. In practice, this leaves the nursing staff more time for actual customer work. On the other hand, we have a long way to go to reach the 0.7 goal”, says Hanna Alastalo, Chief Researcher at THL.

“For the residents, increasing the number of staff means that caregivers have more time for them. Caregivers have time for unrushed care of the elderly and to meet their individual needs. This brings content to the life of the elderly and creates a home-like environment”, says Alastalo.

With the further increase of the statutory quota, units will have to hire more people and especially nursing professionals this year. The difficult recruitment situation makes hiring more challenging. 

“It is difficult to fill vacancies with professionals pretty much all over the country. There is a lack of skilled workforce”, says Sari Kehusmaa, Chief Specialist at THL.

According to Kehusmaa, we will face the most difficult situation in 2022, when more than 80% of the units need more employees to reach the statutory level. 

“We should prepare for this by increasing training”, says Sari Kehusmaa.

Due to retirement and more stringent staffing requirements, a total of more than 30,000 new nursing professionals will be needed in services for older people by 2030.

THL publishes unit-specific staffing requirements for the first time

• The Status of Older People Services Survey monitors staffing changes, practices and management in units offering care services to elderly people. 
• The monitoring was started in 2013. This is the first time that THL publishes unit-specific staffing information on round-the-clock care services for the elderly.
• Operational units are asked to provide information about the daily working hours of each professional group during the monitoring period. Working hours were divided into indirect supportive tasks and direct nursing care time.
• THL calculates the staffing level in each unit. 
• The data is very comprehensive. In November 2020, 98% of the units responded to the data collection. 
• This year, the survey will be conducted twice, in May and in November. Together with service providers, THL develops automatic data transfer directly from information systems. 
• The results are widely used in the development and monitoring of services for the elderly. Several parties, such as supervisory authorities, statistics authorities, Ministries and researchers, use the data to evaluate these services.

Contact information

Sari Kehusmaa
Chief Specialist
THL
tel. +358 (0)29 524 7914
[email protected]

Hanna Alastalo
Chief Researcher
THL
tel. +358 (0)29 524 8609
[email protected]