Promote Healthy Aging in Finland

Katariina Hänninen, the project leader of Healthy Aging in Finland, wrote a few lines about what’s coming up in autumn and made a review of the past year.

“A year of positive development, work and building relationships has been completed again. With appreciation, I have worked in this position for six years.It is important to reflect on the past year, and also to look forward to the coming autumn. The past year has been very rewarding and abundant in the development of elderly substance abuse work. Pilot trainer trainings have spread to new locations (e.g. Espoo and Lieto), new pilke groups have been created and pilke group leaders have met each other nationwide for the first time during the 15-year existence. Work continues and more and more people who are struggling with intoxicants are able to get community support.

Another rewarding part of my work has been the development of a substance-sensitive bereavement method, which has also become an interesting and a unique way of working during the year. First and foremost the Blue Ribbon Association jointly published with substance abuse sensitive bereavement book Substance Abuse Death and Silenced grief, the first edition was sold out in a few months. For the second edition only 1/3 of the printed books are still available. The book is, in all respects, born to know-how to relate to this grief, but also for the need to cope with the grief. It is the first of its kind in which stories of the people who tell their real stories supported with expert and scientific information. It has been desired to give a voice to the silenced phenomenon, also in the substance-specific bereavement groups, that the Finnish Blue Ribbon and its partners, have organized around the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and other parts of Finland.

For the coming autumn, we want to bring these stories to the public knowledge and provide a very special platform or forum where memories of close relatives can be remembered. The goal is to create an entity that combines mutual support, information on available assistance and support, and the production of information, i.e. the emergence of substance abuse related deaths. Be sure to stay tuned and mark the (3.11.2018) calendar.”

The past year was eventful and it continues this autumn. We want to thank you – dear donors – for your support and hope for your continued interest in this project. We’ll keep you informed.