A majority of 24-hour elderly care units in Finland have reduced their staffing levels following a legislative change that lowered the minimum staffing requirement, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Since the beginning of the year, the government has set the staffing ratio for round-the-clock care for the elderly at 0.6 workers per client, down from the previous minimum of 0.65 per client.
The total number of care professionals has decreased by approximately 3,500, or nine percent, even though the number of residents has remained unchanged.
According to THL, the most common staffing ratio in April was between 0.60 and 0.64. The proportion of units maintaining a staffing ratio of at least 0.65 dropped by nearly 60 percent compared to the previous year.
The statutory minimum was last set at its current level in 2022. THL notes that there are now more units operating close to the 0.6 minimum than there were in 2022, while the number of units exceeding the 0.65 or 0.7 threshold has declined correspondingly.
"It is important to remember that meeting the legal minimum is not enough to ensure quality of care," said Saana Saske, a THL specialist.
"According to the law, a unit must have staff whose numbers, training and task structure correspond to the actual service needs of the clients and ensure a high-quality service at all times of the day and night."
