Promote Healthy Aging in Finland

From 2017 the project with aging and alcohol is focusing on a senitive and complex aspect of working with people with substance abuse problems -pallative care of people with substance abuse problems. People with substance abuse problems age before their time and the pallative care often needs to be given amongst ordinary supported housing situations.This is why the staff need the skills to pay attention to the necessary aspects of the difficult process.

Aging people with substance abuse problems or addictions deserve to receive dignified and good pallative care like all other people. The challenge is for the professionals how to talk about death and all issues related to the experieneces that are effected by substance abuse and its effects to the person and their significant others. What are the topics that are hidden and how to help the person to discuss these matters and how to take into consideration the wishes of the person and enable a joint approach.

Finnish Blue Ribbon is running series of training sessions on this topic around Finland to train substance abuse professionals and supported housing and homeless centre staff to consider good practice whilst caring for people with very ill health related to their substance abuse. You can find more information about the training through http://www.ikaantyneidenpaihdetyo.fi/etusivu

Thank you for your support for this work- it truly makes a difference.

• saattohoito_kuolema_ja_suru_koulutus_helsingissa_1.pdf (PDF)
  

I met with an elderly woman's one day on an October morning in Hakaniemi square. She drank white spirits straight from the bottle. She wore a loose-fitting men's jacket, the head was covered with a baseball cap and she wore ballerina slippers. She also wore lipstick and nail polish. The woman was trying to get in contact with other people at the bus stop without success and then she mumbled that “everybody seems to be deaf.”

Finally she started to approach me as I was look towards her and did not turn away. She started to talk to me. After a while she said: Why do you look at me so pleasantly? Are you a writer or an observer? I was confused how she could guess that in my head I was preparing this text about aging and substance abuse. It was a cold morning and she only wore light clothes, I asked if she was cold. She told me that the coat she was wearing was her late husband’s smoking jacket. She gently stroke the sleeve of the coat and I could see her sadness and longing. Our eyes met and she wanted to shake my hand. The tram arrived to the stop and we were both tearful. I hugged her and wished her all the best. Thank you my angel, she said.

The majority of older people to use alcohol in a controlled manner, but there are a small number of people for whom alcohol consumption has become an everyday habit. Risk limits change over the years and, for example bereavement of loved ones or a sudden illnesses of family or friends, pain and loneliness can increase the risk of alcohol use.

The elderly who belong to any of the risk groups use alcohol more as a pastime, the relief of depression or loneliness or relieving the feelings of meaninglessness of life if they are not given alternative tools to deal with their situation. This is why Blue Ribbon Finland wants to promote the work with aging population and find alternatives to substance abuse.

This week we celebrate substance abuse prevention week . This year the theme of the week is to be encouraged to speak and ask questions and feel free to talk about substance abuse. The  Finnish Blue Ribbon has published a new book Anna meidän nähdä- that celebartes the 80 years of Blue Ribbon work and discusses how we find ways to reach and truly meet people in need.

http://sininauhaliitto.fi/sites/default/files/anna_meidan_nahda_sininauhaliitto_80_vuotta.pdf

Heidi Eriksson, the elderly substance abuse Coordinator

Links:

• Book in Finnish