Social technology in the welfare cluster in Finland Dream or reality?

Tuula Ikonen Tuula.ikonengraafmans@telenet.be

Illustrations by courtesy of the Finnish projects

Social technology

Aims to develop independent living daily life for older and disabled people.

It includes the development of environment, housing, assistive facilities and other products, services, education and training.

So the concept used is nearly like concept of gerontechnology, but it wants to focus strongly also on the disabled people, and to the need at the same time to develop appropriate services when the new technology comes to use.

Welfare Cluster Is the group of different partners in the field of welfare.

A collaborative grouping of older and disabled people and their associations, public and private social, health care and rehabilitation organisations, educational organisations, research institutes, entrepreneurs, financers and administration, on all levels.

The Welfare Cluster is calling also for all the other possible partners whose aim is the same: Independent and barrier-free life for everyone.

Finland

- Has about 5 million inhabitants - Is a big country with rural areas- Where health care and social welfare professionals more and more work in the same organisation- Where health/welfare centres (financed by municipalities and state) cover the whole country giving basic care- Where the private professional and volunteer sector is small, but growing.

An example from Finland...

Welfare cluster in Eastern Finland:

Entrepeneurs, end-users, social and health professionals are working together to develop independent living by offering environmental and assistive facilities, education and services in a fruitful cluster

Abloy

... ISAK (www.isak.fi) has developed

- The center for innovations for independent living

- The model how to work in a welfare cluster

PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

ISAK

Entrepeneurs

Social and health care

Associations of the older/disabeld people

EducationResearch

Rehabilitation Tourism in nature

Others Polytechnic

What has been done ?

- Pilot studies * On how assistive technology is in use at homes

* Courses for professionals at the Polytechnic

* As a national project, regional web-portal for public and private carers (www.hoivayrittäjät.com)

... What has been done?

- Barrier-free tourism in the nature

Toimiva KotiToimiva Koti-- PietariPietari

Toimiva Koti- malliasuntoympäristö ja näyttelytila rakentuu Pietarin ammatillisenkuntoutuksen keskuksen (PRC) yhteyteen. Tila on suunniteltu suomalais-venäläisenäyhteistyönä ja varustetaan suomalaisten yritysten edustamalla teknologialla ja tuotteilla.Saneeraustyöt ovat käynnistyneet ja tilan arvioidaan valmistuvan kesällä 2008.

Malliasunto

Koulutustila

Näyttelytila

Varastotilat

Toimistotilat

PKAMK/ISAK/TE

Functional Home – St. Petersburg

Auditorium

Office

Exhibition

Storage

Model of Functional home

Co-operation Finland – Russia ISAK

... City of Joensuu (www.jns.fi)

- preventive elderly care (www.jns.fi/eva)

- design for all suburb, Marjala (http://www.unesco.org/most/westeur2.htm)

Independent life means barrier-free living at home

MARJALA

… Every house in Marjala-suburb kitchen, bath room, hall, living and bed room are barrier-free

Summary

Technology development is very important, but in its own it is not enough.

Improvement of welfare services needs to walk hand-by hand with that.

New kind of educational courses are needed for professionals and training support for the elderly.

Working in welfare clusters, where the older people are active partners, will bring the best solutions.

Financing and supporting this will save you a lot of money.