Informal care refers to the provision of care by a family member or other loved one to a person living with a disability or illness at home. The informal caregiver can be a family member of other loved one, chosen based on their health and functional capacity, to best meet the recipient's needs.
The informal care support includes the informal caregiver's financial fee and statutory days off.
You can apply for informal care support by filling in the application form. Your application must include a sufficiently detailed statement from a health care professional detailing the diagnosis, current state of health and functional capacity of the care recipient.
Deliver the application to a unit of Services for People with Disabilities in your area of residence.
After receiving the application and attachments, an informal care support social instructor will contact you to arrange a home visit. During the home visit, we will prepare a service plan for informal care support together with you and the person you are caring for.
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How can I apply for informal care support?
Informal care support is applied for using the informal care application form.
See more detailed instructions for applying
Once we have received your application, we will contact you and visit your home. During the home visit, we will prepare a service plan for informal care support together with you and the person you are caring for.
How is the informal caregiver’s fee determined?
The amount of the caregiver’s fee is based on the care group of the care recipient. We do not take into account the family’s household chores or running errands outside the home when assessing the need for care and determining the care group of informal care support.
The process of determining the care group is influenced by many factors. We determine it based on the daily amount of personal care or guidance, its demands and the commitment required in the following everyday needs:
- washing
- eating
- getting around
- medication
- getting dressed
- going to the toilet
- other health and medical care procedures
- other support needs, such as night-time care.
The care group determines the informal caregiver’s fee and the number of statutory days off. There are three care groups.
The informal caregiver’s fee is paid monthly and is taxable income. The statutory leave days do not reduce the caregiver’s fee.
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First care group
In the first group, the care situation requires the informal caregiver to work around the clock. The care recipient can only be left alone for a moment and needs assistance with almost all their daily activities and also during the night. An informal caregiver belonging to the first group is unable to work outside the home.
In this group, the informal caregiver has three statutory leave days per month.
The caregiver's fee is up to EUR 1999,57/month (2024).
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Second care group
Caring for persons in the second group is either physically or mentally taxing. The care recipient needs assistance several nights a week. The care recipient can be left home alone for a short period of time, for example due to shopping.
In this group, the informal caregiver has three statutory leave days per month.
The caregiver's fee is up to EUR 922,69/month (2024).
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Third care group
In the third group, the person needs care and attendance several times a day. The care recipient only needs assistance occasionally or not at all at night and can spend several hours home alone during the day. The informal caregiver does not necessarily have to live with the care recipient, but the caregiver visits the care recipient on a daily basis. The informal caregiver can go to work.
In this group, the informal caregiver has two statutory leave days per month.
The caregiver’s fee is up to EUR 508,41/month (2024).
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First care group
In the first group, the care situation requires the informal caregiver to work around the clock. The care recipient cannot be left alone. The condition of the care recipient is such that they cannot participate in activities outside the home. The night-time care of the care recipient includes procedures where mere supervision is not enough. An informal caregiver belonging to the first group is unable to work outside the home.
In this group, the informal caregiver has three statutory leave days per month.
The caregiver's fee is up to EUR 1999,57/month (2024).
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Second care group
Caring for persons in the second group is either physically or mentally taxing. The care recipient needs assistance several nights a week. The care recipient can be left home alone for a short period of time, for example due to shopping.
In this group, the informal caregiver has three statutory leave days per month.
The caregiver's fee is up to EUR 922,69/month (2024).
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Third care group
In the third group, the care recipient needs help with many daily activities. However, they can be left alone for a few hours, taking the child’s age level into account. This care group also includes those who cannot be left alone at all. The need for supervision arises from the fact that the care recipient can pose a danger to themselves or others. However, the care recipient can regularly spend part of the day outside the home, for example in day care, at school or in work or day activities. In this case, it is possible for the informal caregiver to work.
In this group, the informal caregiver has two statutory leave days per month.
The caregiver’s fee is up to EUR 508,41 /month (2024).
You can also find this page at hel.fi/disability-services-support-for-informal-care.
