Municipal health care service, 2002, preliminary figures

Three out of four residents in institutions are 80 years or above, whilst close to half of those receiving home-based services are among these oldest people. For the last decade, this distribution has not changed significantly.

In addition to the shift in resources from institutions towards home-based services, the quality of the services offered has improved. In the institutions, close to 90 per cent of the rooms are single-bed rooms. Rooms with two beds make a decreasing part of the total, and rooms with more than two beds hardly exist any more.

Whilst the number of beds in old people's homes has decreased dramatically, there has been some increase in the number of beds in nursing homes. Totally, there were close to 38 000 beds of that kind in 2002, which is an increase of 2 per cent from the previous year. The authorities have a goal that most elderly people should reside home as long as possible. This way, the progress seen is in accordance with the plans introduced five years ago.

Constant number of physicians and physiotherapists

Within the municipal health services, the number of physicians and physiotherapists stabilized compared to the previous year, following a significant increase. In 2002, there were 8.6 physicians per 10 000 inhabitants, excluding physicians working in institutions. Accordingly, there were 8.3 physiotherapists per 10 000 inhabitants. There is still a growth in the coverage of midwives and public health nurses. Both more man-years and fewer born for the last years cause this growth.

For the last few years, there has also been a decrease in the number of physicians' man-years within environmental health care and in the number of physiotherapists' man-years within other kind of preventive health care.

Significant increase in expenditures

Nursery and care net working expenditures per inhabitant increased by 22 per cent from 2001 to 2002, whilst municipal health care showed an increase of 10 per cent. In particular, the increase of home-based services expenditures has been high, without a corresponding increase in man-years.

Electronic reporting

Most of the 434 municipalities now report by an electronic questionnaire within the KOSTRA system. This has led to a more efficient acquisition of data, and also to an improved quality control.

Tables:

• Table 1 Beds in institutions for the aged and disabled. 1996-2002
• Table 2 Rooms in institutions for the aged and disabled, by type of room. 1991-2002. Per cent(N=number of rooms)
• Table 3 Residents in institutions for the elderly and disabled, by age. 1992-2002
• Table 4 Residents in dwellings for the aged and disabled .1994-2002
• Table 5 Users of home-based services, by age. 1992-2002
• Table 6 Man-years within the nursing and care services. 1992-2002
• Table 7 Users of home based services, by kind of service. 1992-2002
• Table 8 Recipients of respite care, by age. 1996-2002
• Table 9 Recipients of special support, by age. 1996-2002
• Table 10 Man- years by occupational groups in the municipal health service excluded personnel working in institutions for the aged and home based services. Man- years per 10 000 inhabitants. Centrality. 1994-2002
• Table 11 Man-years by occupational groups in the municipal health service excluded personnel working in institutions for the aged and home based services. Centrality. 1994-2002
• Table 12 Man-years by physicians with different wage agreements in the municipal health service excluded personnel working in institutions for the aged and home based services. Centrality. 1994-2002
• Table 13 Man-years by physiotherapists with different wage agreements in the municipal health service excluded personnel working in institutions for the aged and home based services. Centrality. 1994-2002
• Table 14 Man-years in the school health service and health centre service. 1994-2002
• Table 15 Man-years for physicians by activity area. 1994-2002
• Table 16 Man-years for physiotherapists, by activity area. 1994-2002