Ageing and housing

Housing needs vary depending on one’s life circumstances. It is a good idea to plan ahead for the changes in housing needs that come with ageing. Here you will find information on planning for your future housing needs, as well as on financial assistance and advice.

Ageing and housing

By planning ahead, you have time to sort things out, consider your options and proceed at a more leisurely pace. Ageing and any health conditions can affect, for example, your eyesight, your mobility at home and outside the home, and your own capabilities. A home and living environment that are safe and suited to one’s needs support independent living for older people.

You can consider the suitability of your own home and living environment by asking yourself the following questions, for example:

• What is the entrance to my home like?
  – front door, threshold, steps, lift, lighting, door width
• What sort of maintenance does my current home require?
  – snow clearance, renovations, lawn mowing, waste collection, heating
• Are home maintenance tasks the resident’s own responsibility and to be paid for by them?
  – the management company, the resident themselves or their relatives; the availability and cost of services purchased from external providers
• How close are the shops and health services?
  – grocery shop, chemist’s, health centre
• How can I get about in the local area?
  – on foot, by car (car parks), by public transport
• How well are my living environment and my home suited to getting about with mobility aids?
  – accessible and sufficiently wide passageways
• What sort of leisure activities are available nearby?
  – the local council, clubs, adult education centres, the parish and other organisations
• What is my support network like? Can I get help from them?
  – help from family, friends or neighbours

As life circumstances change, housing needs may also change. It is worth considering well in advance whether your current home and neighbourhood will also meet your needs in the years to come.

Is your home accessible, safe and a suitable size? Are essential services available nearby, and do you find everyday life runs smoothly in your current neighbourhood?

Find out more about this topic, for example by watching the video produced by the Miina Sillanpää Foundation, which encourages you to think about your own housing wishes and options in good time.

Housing advice

You can contact the Tuusula local authority’s housing adviser for older people regarding any housing-related matters. The housing adviser’s guidance and advice are free of charge, regardless of your type of accommodation or the type of property you live in. You can contact the housing adviser by telephone on 040 314 3068 on weekdays between 9 am and 3 pm.

You can contact a housing adviser, for example, regarding the following housing matters:

• when you want to consider future needs for change
• to find solutions to existing situations
• to seek advice and guidance on housing matters.

Repair grants and repair advice

Repair grants are awarded from state funds for the homes of the elderly and people with disabilities. The State-supported Centre for Housing Construction (Varke) provides guidance on applying for, awarding and paying grants, makes decisions on grants and oversees the operation of the scheme. 

Varke awards accessibility and lift grants to housing associations and other property companies and organisations.

The Central Association for the Elderly provides advice on home repairs to people aged over 65 and helps them to apply for grants.

Further information:

Planning for housing:

Technology relating to housing and housing safety:

Housing support:

Housing for older people:

This content has been translated using AI