Adequate and equitable support secures informal care

Informal care replaces a significant share of home care in the wellbeing services counties and delays the need for round-the-clock service housing. The costs of contractual informal care for adults are estimated at EUR 418 million per year, whereas providing the same care through other services would cost approximately EUR 1.25 billion: without informal care, the costs would be three times higher.

The need for care increases as the population ages. Already, memory disorders are the most common reason for informal care, and half of those receiving informal care are over 75 years old. Informal carers are often older as well. The majority of informal carers are women, many of whom care for their spouse.

When informal carers receive sufficient support, many older people and those with chronic illnesses are able to live at home for longer. This reduces the need for more intensive services and eases the burden on the service system.

THL recommends a uniform approach to granting support

Wellbeing services counties grant support for informal care based on different criteria. The granting of statutory leave and other services also varies. Informal carers are in an unequal position depending on the region.

“In similar situations, some regions grant support while others do not. The care allowance and other services are society’s fair way of supporting informal carers, as they replace more expensive services. When informal carers are supported, they cope better. This ensures a safe care relationship, which is the right of the person receiving care,” says THL Senior Researcher Katja Ilmarinen.

THL recommends that wellbeing services counties harmonise the criteria and practices for granting informal care support. A clear way to achieve this is to adopt THL’s national Omakari criteria, which define a consistent approach to granting support.

Support helps carers cope

Informal care is cost-effective for wellbeing services counties even with support, but without carers who can cope, there is no informal care. An older spousal carer is at particularly high risk of exhaustion.

Carers’ ability to cope can be supported in various ways. It is the responsibility of wellbeing services counties to arrange substitute care during the carer’s statutory days off. The law guarantees 2–3 such days per month.

“In addition to days off, short respite breaks are important. If needed, services such as meal delivery can ease the carer’s daily life. Day centre activities support the rehabilitation of the care recipient and give the carer an opportunity for a break,” Ilmarinen explains.

Caring for a close person may be associated with a deterioration in one’s own health and livelihood. An informal carer of working age may experience a reduction in income.

“It is important to ensure that the criteria for granting informal care support and other support are in place so that people are willing to become carers. Only then can cost savings be achieved in other forms of care,” Ilmarinen says.

Many people care for their loved ones informally

In addition to 51,400 contractual informal carers, an estimated over one million adults regularly help their close ones manage at home. Some do this occasionally, others around the clock. Especially those supporting older people with memory disorders are burdened.

“The criteria for contractual informal care are relatively strict, and some relatives care for their loved ones informally in a highly demanding way. Their ability to cope must also be supported. In such situations, for example family care should be granted so that the carer can have breaks that support their wellbeing,” Ilmarinen says.