VALLI - The Union for Senior Services
The Union was founded in April 1953 by a total of seven relief associations. Along the years the number of member associations has grown to 65 in 2010. The total number of members in the associations is ca. 6.500.
At the first stage, the Union focused on improving the living conditions of the elderly by promoting building activities. This was realised by the member associations trying to provide housing for the elderly, either by founding special old people’s homes or by acquiring flats designed for the aged. Another form of activity was to spread information about the conditions of the aged and to participate in the social debate. The first modern old people’s homes maintained by member associations were founded in Helsinki in 1952 and in Kotka in 1955.
The old people’s homes maintained by the member associations of VALLI - The Union for Senior Services were completely dependent on financial support channelled to private old people’s homes from the profits of RAY (Finnish Slot Machine Association) that was established in 1938. In 1960, private old people’s homes received ca. 27% of RAY’s profits, which was quite a high percentage. By 1968, RAY provided funding for the building of some 50 new old people’s homes. Since 1950’s, RAY has supported the Union regularly in different forms.
New winds
At the beginning of the 1980’s, VALLI - The Union for Senior Services expanded their circle of operation from the support and building of private old people’s homes more and more into neighbour service. The Articles of Union were also revised: the purpose of the Union is to act as a central organisation for the member associations, to provide information and to lobby for improving the quality of life of the elderly, as well as to promote the housing conditions of the aged and to develop home and neighbour service activities.
In the 1980’s, the objectives of the Union included greater transparency, interaction as well as sharing of experiences and networking. The Union was consciously built into a professional central unit, focusing on various projects and development experiments. The Union gained plenty of positive feedback not only for the development of neighbour service activities, but also e.g. for the “Meeting of generations” project that included an essay competition and a grandparent event, as well as for the “Health of the aged” project. The Union has also participated actively in projects focusing on the housing and wellbeing of demented old people.
In the 1990’s, Finnish elderly care policy was characterised by the requirement of comprehensive welfare for the elderly, based on the models of the United Nations and the European Union. This was also reflected in the activities of VALLI - The Union for Senior Services: more individual approach had to be adopted in the welfare for the elderly. The inequality of activities in different parts of the country in terms of welfare for the elderly was also recognised. Activities to prevent violence against the elderly and to treat mental health problems also became focal development issues. Another major area of development for organisations engaged in elderly care has been the development of home services, in compliance with the general socio-political approach. All in all, VALLI - The Union for Senior Services has participated in 31 projects and development programmes between 1978 and 2003.
Over the years, the number of office staff in the Union has increased from just one salaried employee in the 1970’s to ten employees in 2003. With the exception of Elisabet Järvinen, all the Chairpersons of the Union have been Members of Parliament. Tarja Halonen, the current President of Finland, served as the Chairperson of Union in 1986 – 1995.
Sheltered homes and group homes maintained by member associations
By the turn of the 21st century, the homes maintained by the 48 member associations of VALLI - The Union for Senior Services were sheltered homes. The change of name from an old people’s home to a sheltered home took place in the 1980’s and 1990’s when the member associations expanded their activities from supporting old people’s homes to providing wider and more comprehensive services to the elderly.
Toward the end of the 1990’s, the number of member associations increased rapidly. The increase can be attributed to various factors. General factors, such as the public elderly care policy, created the framework for the increase, but the internal development efforts of the Union also played a significant role. It could be said that local associations have joined VALLI - The Union for Senior Services for four different reasons: First, the Union has a high penetration rate and second, it enjoys the image of a developing organisation. Third, the standard of training provided by the Union is valued and fourth, project work has attracted interest in the activities of the Union. VALLI - The Union for Senior Services has also consciosly created cooperation networks with other European countries and adopted an international approach.
All in all, at the end of the 1990’s the basic principles of Finnish elderly care policy included normality, respect for the elderly, safety, social integration, personal autonomy, individuality, freedom of choice, pluralism, equality and justice. Like in all EU countries, Finland has also adopted a clear approach in welfare for the elderly: to support home living. The ageing of population makes the need for the development of institutional care evident.
In comparison with municipal old people’s homes, the benefits of private sheltered homes include smaller unit size, higher service level and comfort.
Finally
The 50-year history of the Union reflects the change that has taken place in Finnish elderly care policy. The over 65-year old retirees have become a focal population group that dominates the social debate and reflects the social change. At the same time, the idea of the aged as a homogenous group has shattered.
VALLI - The Union for Senior Services has been actively involved in the development of old people’s homes and sheltered housing, service centre activities and neighbour service. It is justified to say that civic organisations have developed ideas and operating patterns to improve the housing of and the services provided to the elderly, tested these in practice and then transferred proven models ovar the state. The Finnish Barometer for the Elderly (1999) shows that despite the presence of age discrimination in the society, Finnish elderly people are in most parts satisfied with the living conditions and their lives.
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