Supporting the Health, Resources, and Well-being of Family Caregivers in Pirkanmaa - PIRKKO Project

The PIRKKO project, running from 2025 to 2027, aims to develop activities that enhance the accessibility and functionality of family caregiving for families in the Pirkanmaa welfare area. The goal is to provide timely support to family caregivers, monitor their well-being, and strengthen their overall health. Additionally, the project aims to develop statutory leisure time support for family caregivers. The target groups in Pirkanmaa include both non-contractual and contractual family caregiving families, as well as those considering family caregiving. The target groups also include employees in the area who encounter family caregiving families (e.g., customer guidance, local service points, partners), as well as family caregivers and those interested in family caregiving. The impact of the project is to increase the well-being and social support of family caregivers. The project utilizes proven and newly developed models.
The project is coordinated by the Pirkanmaa welfare area. The co-implementers are Tampere University of Applied Sciences, the Family Care Association, and the Tampere Region Family Caregivers Association. The project period is from January 1, 2025, to October 31, 2027. The main funding for the project comes from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's Health Promotion Appropriation.

In the Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county (Pirha), there are approximately 3,500 families with caregivers. One of the sub-goals of the Development Program for Elderly Services (IKI2035) is to strengthen family caregiving and increase the number of elderly caregivers. Strengthening family caregiving enables the elderly to live at home longer, supports the endurance of caregivers, and reduces the need for residential services, thereby freeing up personnel resources (IKI2035). In addition to counseling and guidance, there is a need to organize activities that promote functional capacity and peer support for caregiving families. This will utilize the activities of partners, the local service center model, and remote technology. There is a need to develop ways to organize care during the statutory leave of caregivers. The goal is particularly to increase family caregiving. To support caregivers at an earlier stage, it is necessary to develop wellbeing and health check-ups.

Objectives:
1.     Strengthen communication and accessibility related to family caregiving
2.     Organize activities that promote the functionality of family caregiving families
3.     Direct family caregivers to appropriate support in a timely manner and monitor their well-being
4.     Develop and enable statutory leisure time care for family caregivers

New and existing caregivers know where to get help and support and can seek it independently. Their digital skills improve through the DigiLähitori initiative. The expertise in counseling and guidance for promoting wellbeing and health increases. Participation strengthens the wellbeing and endurance of caregiving families. Employees recognize the burden on caregivers and can direct them to appropriate services. The awareness of family caregiving increases, and its utilization alongside caregiving work has grown, enhancing the wellbeing of caregiving families. New potential family caregivers become interested in family caregiving.

Terveyden edistämisen määräraha

Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö