Use of Benefits Among Individuals Older Than 75 Who Receive Guarantee Pension and Care Allowance for Pensioners in the Context of the Health Insurance Benefit System
This study investigates the differences in the use of social security benefits and services among individuals older than 75 who receive guarantee pension and care allowance for pensioners. In addition, the goal is to identify the sources that respond to the applicants’ need for help and care. The research data comprise register data care allowance for pensioners applications received by Kela in 2019 (n = 1,950) and register data on Kela’s benefits and allowances.
Researchers
- Antti Teittinen, Leading Researcher
- Aliisa Palanne
- Pauliina Puurtinen
Project Implementation Period
1.6.2022–31.12.2024. The project has ended.
Project Results
This aim of this research project was to establish what kinds of differences exist in the use of social security benefits and services among persons over the age of 75 who qualify for a guarantee pension and who have applied for care allowance for pensioners and what entities meet the assistance and care needs of these applicants based on data compiled from applications for the aforementioned care allowance. The focus of the study was on elderly care allowance recipients with memory disorders who lived at home, their care-related needs and the role of family members as providers of care.
In quantitative terms, low-income care allowance recipients with memory disorders who lived at home required wide-ranging care regardless of whether the care allowance recipient was living at home with the help of home care services or family members. Furthermore, regardless of whether the care allowance recipient had a low income, the receipt of home care services correlated with a more prevalent use of support services, whereas care allowance recipients living at home with the help of a family member made use of at-home support services to a significantly smaller degree. The low use of third-party services among care allowance recipients living at home with the support of a family member combined with the wide-ranging and almost continuous need for care supports the impression that care received from a family member enables elderly care allowance recipients with memory disorders to live at home. Qualitative results on the forms of care and the agency of care allowance recipients that could be gleaned from the application form data will be discussed later in separate articles.
Publications
- Asiakastutkimusohjelma: Eläkettä saavan hoitotuki ja sen mahdollisuudet ikääntyvää väestöä koskevan tutkimustiedon tuottajana (Kelan tutkimusblogi)
- Omainen on korvaamaton hoitotukea hakeneelle takuueläkeläiselle (Kelan tutkimusblogi)
- Omainen on tärkeä kotona asuvalle muistisairaalle – määrällinen analyysi Kelan hoitotukihakemuksista (research article)
