Persons living on ventilators to shift from specialized care

With the entry into force of the new Act on Disability Services and Assistance at the turn of the year, the care of persons living on ventilators will be transferred from specialized health care to wellbeing services counties, said HUS in a press release on Wednesday.

HUS Helsinki University Hospital, the City of Helsinki, and the wellbeing services counties of Uusimaa are currently preparing for the transfer with the view to ensure that the transfer does not cause changes in clients’ daily life.

After the transfer, HUS will continue to be responsible for the specialized health care in the treatment of patients living on ventilators.

The wellbeing services counties will manage matters related to social welfare and custodial care in clients’ everyday lives.

“It is wonderful that the transfer progresses so well in cooperation with HUS, the City of Helsinki, and the wellbeing services counties. It is important that this vulnerable patient group has good, common treatment practices in Uusimaa in future as well,” said Raija Kontio, Director of HUS Internal Medicine Services.

The care and transport services of persons living on ventilators will continue to be free of charge after the transfer.

After the transfer, the patient may live as before at home, in a housing unit or in another place providing round-the-clock care depending on the patient’s overall medical and care intensity status.

In future, persons living on ventilators may be eligible for financial support under the Act on Disability Services and Assistance.

The entry into force of the act will have a transitional period of three years from the beginning of 2025.

During the transitional period, services for patients living on ventilators will be arranged in accordance with the current legislation, unless they themselves prefer an earlier transfer.

The reason for the transfer is the entry into force of the Act on Disability Services and Assistance on 1 January 2025.

In the future, patients living on ventilators will be covered by the Act on Disability Services and Assistance and will no longer be issued separate respiratory paralysis decisions.

Responsibility for disability services and social welfare services will lie with the wellbeing services counties, while HUS will only provide specialized health care services.

The treatment and care of persons living on ventilators is mainly primary level healthcare and social welfare.