Promote Healthy Aging in Finland

The nationwide forum on substance abuse in Turku celebrates Pilke's 15th anniversary. Pilke groups are small peer support groups to which people over 60 who are in danger of social exclusion or addiction are searched and invited to take part.

The groups are an example of close co-operation between the city and organizations such as the Fingerroos Foundation and the Finnish Blue Ribbon Association.

Pilke has been operating in Turku since 2015.

Pilke groups meet together with Turku in Helsinki and Rauma. Their goal is to bring happiness through joyful engagement and involvement in life. Weekly meetings include activities that have been jointly planned with the participants.

Groups are facilitated by trained professionals. The aim of the groups is to bring regularity to everyday life, to prevent marginalization and support in coping with everyday life, "says  Katariina Hänninen, the Blue Ribbon.

There are three Pilke groups in Turku, the first of which started in spring 2015. They operate in the areas of Keskus, Varissuo and Pansio-Jyrkkälä. The fourth group is about to start in the near future.

- Pilke groups are a fine example of the participatory activities of the city and organizations in the working and elderly areas,  says Leena Rinne , head of service  at City of Turku.

Turku's Pilke activities are co-operated by the City of Turku's well-being home care and wellness centers and the Löytävä project of the Fingerroos Foundation. The group's supervisors work together with the Home Care and Fingerroos Foundation employees.

In Turku, the first pilot pilots were trained in cooperation with the City and Sininauhaliitto in 2015.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The activity has started at the Deaconess Institute in Helsinki in 2002. Patients' peer-to-peer day operations groups have been born as part of the "Liika on-too-aging and alcohol" project (2005-2011). Since 2012, the in-substance work of older people in the Sininauhaliitto Association has continued with the support of STEA (formerly RAY) and Veikkaus to develop and disseminate Pilke's activities to new locations.