The need for assistive devices increases with the ageing of the population and the
expansion of home services and service housing. The development of assistive technology
brings about new possibilities. The present recommendation is based on the need for it
stated in the Government-approved Target and Action Plan for Social Welfare and Health
Care 2000-2003. The need for a recommendation was also pinpointed in a survey regarding
the access to assistive devices in 2000. According to it the access to assistive devices
and the practices of delivering them to clients vary by region and organization.
The Finnish society provides good overall prerequisites for the production of assistive
device services. There are, however, defects in organizing and providing these services
that have to be addressed. The most considerable challenges are related to the
user-orientation of assistive device services and to their professional provision, the
targeting of services according to need, and to efficient use of the available resources.
Neither the users of assistive devices nor professionals know enough about assistive
devices and related services. Therefore the quality of services varies. All those in need
of assistive devices do not necessarily obtain the device they need, the possibilities of
modern assistive technology are not availed of sufficiently, and the practices of
delivering the devices to clients vary.
The purpose of the national Quality Recommendation for Assistive Device Services is to
guide and develop assistive device services so as to ensure that they are user-oriented
and granted on equitable criteria. A service that is provided efficiently and
professionally guarantees that municipal inhabitants obtain the assistive devices they are
in need of, irrespective of the place of residence. The recommendation is useful in
strategic planning, development work, and in assessing and monitoring operations. The
recommendation is principally meant for the management and decision-makers which give
guidelines for assistive device services in social welfare and health care in
municipalities and hospital districts and which are responsible for related policies and
for allocating the necessary resources for the service.
In the Quality Recommendation assistive device services are considered from the point
of view of the persons in need of these devices, users, social and health care
professionals and the professional management and decision-makers in social welfare and
health care. Well-organized, client-oriented assistive device services are flexible and
seamless. The professional skills and knowledge of the staff guarantee the high quality of
services. Municipal inhabitants must obtain enough information about the assistive device
services related to social and health care services and access to them.
Key words: assistive devices, processes, quality, recommendations, services