Fees for senior services

Temporary home care

Doctor’s home visit in temporary at-home hospital care: EUR 25.80

• The fee is charged for a maximum of two visits per day.
• A doctor’s home visit in temporary home care and home nursing is free of charge.

Home visit by other staff in temporary home care: EUR 16.40

• The fee is charged for up to two visits per day.

If the need for home care continues without interruption for more than two months and visits take place at least once a week, the client will be charged the monthly fee for continuous home care.

Continuous and regular home care

The fee is charged on the portion of income that exceeds the income limit. The income limit varies according to the size of the household. You can see the income limits by household size at the end of the page under Income limits and payment percentages.

Monthly income includes all taxable continuous and regular annual income earned and capital income (gross income) of the home care client. Tax-free social benefits are not considered income, except for child support and the care allowance for pensioners. The veterans’ supplement paid as part of the care allowance for pensioners is not considered income.

For spouses, combined income is taken into account when determining the client fee. If one or both spouses receive continuous and regular home care services, the client fee is determined based on the spouses’ combined income. If the spouses receive different services, the client fee is determined based on each spouse’s own income.

Calculate an estimate of the home care client fee using the calculator

The fee for continuous and regular home care is calculated from the portion of income that exceeds the income limit, according to the payment percentage. The payment percentage depends on the amount of service needed per month and the size of the household.

You can see the payment percentages and an example calculation at the end of the page under Income limits and payment percentages.

Maximum fees for regular home care

Maximum fees are applied when income is not reported or when income is high.

• Service hours per month 0–4: EUR 119.66 / month
• Service hours per month 5–8: EUR 538.47 / month
• Service hours per month 9–12: EUR 1,017.12 / month
• Service hours per month 13–16: EUR 1,495.76 / month
• Service hours per month 17–20: EUR 1,974,.40 / month
• Service hours per month 21–24: EUR 2,453.05 / month
• Service hours per month 25–28: EUR 2,931.69 / month
• Service hours per month 29–32: EUR 3,410.33 / month
• Service hours per month 33–36: EUR 3,888.98 / month
• Service hours per month 37–40: EUR 4,367,.62 / month
• Service hours per month 41 hours or more: EUR 4,906.10 / month

The maximum amounts of client fees for continuous and regular home care services were decided by the Social Services and Health Care Committee as of 1 October 2021.

Home meal service (all home care clients in Helsinki)

• Lunch: EUR 5.00
• Dessert: EUR 1.80

Meal delivery costs EUR 7.40.

Express delivery fee is EUR 57.30 per delivery

Meal vending machine service

• Lunch: EUR 6.40
• Dessert: EUR 2.00

A service fee of EUR 4.70 per day that includes deliveries and the device rental.

Express delivery fee EUR 40.00 per delivery.

Grocery service

• Collection and delivery of groceries: EUR 9.73 (VAT 0%)

You receive one VAT-free delivery per week. The service provider is Mehiläinen Ateriaali Oy.

Safety phone service

• A person living alone whose income is up to EUR 1,470 / month, or a couple with income up to    EUR 2,170 / month: EUR 35.68 per month + call-out fee EUR 23.25 per visit
• A person living alone with an income exceeding 1 470 € per month, or a couple with income over EUR 2,170 per month): EUR 71.36 per month + call-out fee EUR 46.50 per visit

The service includes a safety phone and a safety wristband.

The service is income-related, meaning the fees depend on your income or the combined income of you and your spouse.

Installation of the safety phone is free of charge. A door alarm is free of charge for everyone who has a safety phone. A GPS tracker is free of charge.

A call-out visit is charged for a maximum of five times per month.

The safety phone is always billed for the full month, regardless of the installation or removal date.

The monthly fee for the safety phone cannot be temporarily suspended; the client must separately terminate the service.

Calculate an estimate of the fees for services supporting living at home using the calculator

The rehabilitative assessment period is billed in the same way as temporary home care. The first visit is free of charge, after which one visit costs EUR 16.40. A maximum of two visits per day is billed, with a maximum fee of EUR 32.80 per day.

The client fee for communal housing and supported housing is based on your gross income. No separate minimum personal allowance is defined for you.

The client fee depends on the number of service hours, the size of the household and your ability to pay. The fee is charged on the portion of income that exceeds the income limit.

You can view the income limits by household size and an example calculation at the end of the page under Income limits and payment percentages.

The client fee does not include housing costs or meals. The full-board meal fee is EUR 497.95 per month, and the half-board meal fee is EUR 373.50 per month.

The fee for long-term 24-hour service housing is 85% of the client’s net monthly income, after statutory deductions such as medication costs, rent as a special deduction and the guardian’s fee have been made, as well as the guardian’s fee. Necessary and reasonable housing costs may be taken into account for a rental apartment for one month, a right-of-occupancy apartment for three months, and an owner-occupied apartment for six months.

If the client has higher income than their spouse, the spouse’s income is taken into account when determining the client fee. In this case, the care fee is 42.5% of the spouses’ combined net income, after statutory deductions. If the client has lower income than their spouse, the spouse’s income is not taken into account when determining the client fee.

If the fee calculated based on the spouses’ combined monthly income would be higher than the fee based on the client’s own income, the client will be charged no more than the amount determined based on their own income.

If the client fee is calculated based on the spouses’ combined income, the spouse living at home may keep an amount corresponding to the basic amount of social assistance. You will always have at least EUR 195 as personal spending money for personal expenses (in 2026).

Reporting medication costs

In the client fee for long-term 24-hour service housing, the client’s medication expenses for medicines, clinical nutritional supplements and basic creams are taken into account as a special deduction. The special deduction for medication costs is made from the income on which the client fee is based when the fee is determined.

Two special deductions for medication costs are taken into account in the client fee:

• No deduction is requested for medication costs reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act, as these reimbursable medication costs are automatically taken into account in the client fee up to the annual medicine cap. When the client’s medicine cap is reached, they pay an out-of-pocket payment of EUR 2.50. The client pays this out-of-pocket amount from their personal spending money, and it is not taken into account as a deduction in the client fee.
• A deduction for medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act is requested separately using an application. Medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act are taken into account in the client fee to the extent that a health care professional has assessed them as necessary.

How to apply for a special deduction for medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act?

A special deduction for medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act is applied for using the form “Consideration of medication costs in the client fees for long-term 24-hour service housing (303–525)”.

Fill in the form “Consideration of medication costs in the client fees for long-term 24-hour service housing” (pdf)Fill in the form “Consideration of medication costs in the client fees for long-term 24-hour service housing” (pdf)

The special deduction is applied starting from the month indicated on the application. Please note that the amount of the special deduction is calculated on a monthly basis and is taken into account as continuous in the client fee decision. This means that, based on the information provided by the client, an average monthly medication cost is calculated.

When filling in the application, please remember to check the following items.

1. Only medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act, clinical nutritional supplements (including vitamins) and basic creams entitle you to the special deduction. Costs arising from wound care supplies, incontinence products, cleansing wipes or other care supplies do not entitle you to the special deduction.
2. Check whether you have a prescription for medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act.
   • If you have a prescription for medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act, list your non-reimbursable prescription medication costs under item 2.
   • If you do not have a prescription for medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act, list your non-reimbursable non-prescription medication costs under item 3. You will need the signature of a health care professional.
     Note! By signing, the health care professional confirms that the medicines are necessary.
3. Check the attachments to the application.
   • Attach the pharmacy’s medication list for prescription purchases and the purchase receipts, preferably from the past 3 months. If the prices of the medication costs listed in the application are shown on the medication list, separate purchase receipts are not required.

What to do if the medication costs entitling you to the special deduction change?

If the medication costs not reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act change substantially (by at least five euros per month), you may apply for a review of the special deduction. In this case, the details, necessity and price of the new medicine must be indicated in the application. Please note, however, that the special deduction is calculated on a monthly basis. For this reason, changes of only a few euros in medication costs do not significantly affect the amount of the special deduction.

The fee for long-term institutional care is 85% of the client’s net monthly income, after statutory deductions have first been made, such as the guardian’s fee and the housing costs of the previous home. Necessary and reasonable housing costs may be taken into account for a rental apartment for one month, a right-of-occupancy apartment for three months, and an owner-occupied apartment for six months. If the client has higher income than their spouse, the spouse’s income is taken into account when determining the client fee. In this case, the care fee is 42.5 per cent of the spouses’ combined net income. If the client has lower income than their spouse, the spouse’s income is not taken into account when determining the client fee.

If the fee calculated based on the spouses’ combined monthly income would be higher than the fee based on the client’s own income, the client will be charged no more than the amount determined based on their own income.

If the client fee is calculated based on the spouses’ combined income, the spouse living at home may keep an amount corresponding to the basic amount of social assistance. You will always have at least EUR 131 as personal spending money for personal expenses.

Institutional care during a family caregiver’s leave costs EUR 12.80 per day.

Short-term institutional care costs EUR 66.90 per day.

Part-time institutional care costs EUR 30.70. The fee for part-time institutional care is charged when the service has lasted less than 12 hours per day (day or night care fee).

Short-term service housing costs EUR 42.40 per day.

Part-time service housing costs EUR 30.70. The fee for part-time service housing is charged when the service has lasted less than 12 hours per day (day or night care fee).

• Day activities 4 hours or more, incl. transport: EUR 24.90 per visit
• Day activities 4 hours or more without transport: EUR 19.00 per visit
• Day activities under 4 hours, incl. transport: EUR 12.45 per visit
• Day activities under 4 hours without transport: EUR 9.50 per visit
• Day activities during the statutory leave of a family caregiver: EUR 12.80 per visit

• Printing: EUR 0.45 per sheet
• Sauna: EUR 3.40 per visit
• Laundry room: EUR 1.30 per kg (cash payment)