Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

Working Group Memorandums 2002:9

2002-06-19


DEVELOPMENT OF A PERSONAL ASSISTANT SYSTEM

SUMMARY

Title of publication
Development of a personal assistant system

Authors
Working group on the development of a personal assistant system
Chairman: Kalle Könkkölä
Secretaries: Aini Kimpimäki, Karoliina Korte

Summary
On April 12, 2002 the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health appointed a working group to:

1) make the necessary proposals for the development of the assistant activity by evening out the service system costs of the local authorities and make a proposal concerning the possible provisional changes required by the proposals
2) to establish the cost effects of the proposals and make a proposal on the financing of the costs
3) make proposals concerning the budget proposals for 2003 by May 31, 2002

Chairman of the working group was Kalle Könkkölä of the National Council on Disability, members were Jouko Narikka of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Liisa Aittoniemi of the Social Insurance Institution and Sami Uotinen of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and secretaries Aini Kimpimäki and Karoliina Korte of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

During the course of the investigation experts have been heard: Researcher Marja-Liisa Heiska, Aulikki Rautavaara of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Pirkko Mahlamäki of the Disability Forum, Heli Sahala of Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and Raija Koskinen of the Ministry of Finance.

The working group settled at proposing the development of a personal assistant system with the help of a cost equalisation system. The working group proposes that the local authorities be recompensed for 70 percent of the hourly assistant costs exceeding 20 hours. The compensation will be carried out concentratedly by the Social Insurance Institution from an appropriation allocated for this purpose. Additional funding for the assistant system will be allocated by transferring an estimated appropriation from the calculatory state subsidies of the local authorities. In addition to this the working group proposes that, in its budget, the government allocate additional funding to the system comprising 50 percent of its estimated costs.

Key words
Assistants, services for the disabled, state subsidies

Title and number of series
Working Group Memorandums of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2002:9

Price 10.15 euro

Language Finnish

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