The 2026 national “Tell us about your service” survey was conducted from 14 January to 31 March. The survey is now closed. Thank you to all participants!
What is the “Tell us about your service” survey?
The “Tell us about your service” survey is a statutory survey in elderly care services. It is answered by clients of home care and service housing with 24-hour assistance across Finland. The survey is carried out every two years. Clients receive the questionnaire and instructions on how to respond from their own service unit.
Clients can respond to the survey alone or together with a family member, friend or assistant. A family member or friend may also respond on behalf of the client, if the client has given consent. The response must reflect the client’s own opinion, even when assistance is provided or the survey is answered on their behalf. The survey can be answered in three languages: Finnish, Swedish or English. Participation in the survey is voluntary for clients.
Frequently asked questions
The target group for the national client survey on services for older people is defined in the Act on Services for Older Persons (980/2012, Section 24 a). It includes regular and long-term clients within elderly care services.
The “Tell us about your service” survey can be answered by a client who meet all of the following criteria:
- Is at least 65 years old.
- Has been a client of the participating service unit for at least one month.
- Is a regular home care client (Social Welfare Act, Section 19a) or a long-term client in service housing with 24-hour assistance (Social Welfare Act, Section 21c). Temporary and short-term clients do not take part in the survey.
Regular home care: A client has a care plan and/or has received home care visits on at least six days during the 60 days preceding data collection. Clients who only receive support services such as cleaning, meal or errand services do not respond to the survey.
Long-term service housing with 24-hour assistance: A client has a decision on long-term care or the care is expected to continue for at least three months. Alternatively, the client has signed a rental agreement with the service unit and requires 24-hour assistance.
Participation in the survey is voluntary. In general, the client decides whether to participate, and no consent from a legal guardian or family member is required. If the client is unable to make this decision, for example due to a memory disorder, they will not take part in the survey.
There is no national register of clients using elderly care services in Finland. For this reason, THL conducts the survey in cooperation with service providers and service units. The service units are responsible for sharing the surveys and the login credentials needed for the electronic survey with their own clients. THL cannot provide login credentials to clients or their relatives, as it cannot the client’s connection to a specific service unit.
The survey includes a little over 10 questions. A client can choose to answer all questions or only some, according to their own strength and comfort. It is also possible to take breaks while answering. The questions relate to the services the client receives and their everyday life. There is also a question for open feedback, where thoughts can be shared freely.
All clients have the option to respond to the electronic survey either independently or with the help of an assistant. In this case, the response is sent directly to THL researchers and does not go to the service unit. The electronic survey uses a secure connection. Information about the identity of clients is not transmitted to THL.
THL is a public authority that stores and processes data confidentially, in compliance with the duty of secrecy and data protection legislation. THL publishes the survey results on its website and produces other publications based on them. Service providers use the results to develop their services. Individual respondents cannot be identified from the research results.
The survey provides information on client satisfaction with elderly care services and helps develop these services. Its aim is to support knowledge-based management and development work in wellbeing services counties, service providers, and service units, as well as to enhance service quality.
Service providers and service units receive results related to their own services. The survey results also support national decision-making by providing data on client satisfaction. Later, clients and their relatives can view the results of service units on THL’s website.