Coronavirus-related changes to social and health care services

Kuuntele

This page will be updated regularly. Some services will reopen 1 June. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of all of Helsinki's social and health care services. Find more information on the English-language webpages of the City of Helsinki.

Adult social work

Adult social work services are primarily available via telephone and the online chat. Meetings are organised where required.

Adult social work contact information

Appointments

The City of Helsinki will not collect penalties for no-shows at appointments during the state of emergency.

Helsinki waives fines for nonattendance of appointments

Assisted living facilities for the disabled

Visits to Helsinki's assisted living facilities are banned until further notice. The ban also applies to personal assistants, who should wait outside the facilities for the resident to arrive, if outdoor activities are planned.

Assisted employment for the disabled

There are currently delays in the evaluations of service needs.

Child welfare

Child welfare officers will continue to serve their customers normally, but clients are asked not to bring children to appointments for the time being. Clients are asked to stay home, if they are ill in any way.

Community centres

Two of Helsinki’s community centres, Seurahuone in the Helsinki district of Oulunkylä and Kumppanustalo Hanna in Alppila, are open from 1 June. The other community centres are closed for the time being.

Coronavirus Helpline, tel. 09 310 10024

The Coronavirus Helpline serves people in Helsinki on weekdays from 7 am to 4 pm at tel. 09 310 10024. At other times, people with coronavirus questions are advised to ring the Medical Helpline at tel. 116 117.

Dental care

The provision of non-urgent dental care has been wound down and all non-urgent appointments have been postponed. Clients will be contacted accordingly.

Emergency and medically necessary dental care has been safeguarded, however. If you have a dental emergency, call tel. 09 310 51400 on weekdays from 7 am to 2 pm, and tel, 09 471 71110 in the evenings from 2 pm to 9 pm and on weekends from 8 am to 9 pm.

Dental care during the state of emergency

Examinations at daycare centres

Day care centre examinations for three year olds have been cancelled.

Family centres

Family centres and maternity and child health clinics remain open, but there have been several changes to the services. Clients will be contacted if appointments are cancelled.

Family coaching for first-time mothers

Family coaching intended for first-time mothers has been cancelled until 31 May.

Food bags distribution

Emergency food bags are distributed in different places in Helsinki.

Operations during the state of emergency

Foot therapy

Foot therapy can at present be offered to a limited extent to persons who have a high risk of wounds. More information from the appointment booking, tel. 09 3104 5425 on weekdays 8:00-10:00.

Gestational diabetes groups

Gestational diabetes guidance groups have been cancelled.

Group examinations for six month olds

Group examinations for six-month-old children have been cancelled.

Helsinki hospital laboratory

Starting 30 March, the laboratory of the metropolitan area hospital network HUS will serve customers by appointment only. HUSLAB has also closed some of its service points and made changes to its opening hours.

To book an appointment, ring tel. 09 471 86800 on weekdays from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Current opening hours

Hospitals

Visits to hospitals are not allowed for the time being.

Visits to hospitals banned

Housing services for older people and the disabled

Visits to housing services units are not allowed until further notice.

Visits to housing services units banned

Informal care (kin care)

All the centres for informal care are currently closed.

Maternity and child health clinic services

Several special arrangements have been introduced in Helsinki's maternity and child health clinic services until 31 May. Read more about the changes here (pdf)

You may not come to the clinics if you or your children are ill. A new appointment can be booked at tel. 09 3105 5530 or via Helsinki's e-services.

Starting 23 March, the maternity and child health clinic services in the districts of Laakso and Malmi will be available at other clinics.

Malmi and Laakso maternity and child health care services from 23 March

Medical aid services

Laakso medical aid services are open weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.

Mieppi – low-threshold support for mental well-being

Mieppi's walk-in services have been cancelled for the time being, but counsellors are available at tel. 09 310 26830 on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm. The phone service hours have been extended.

Open maternity and child health clinics

Open maternity and child health clinics are closed until 31 August.

Maternity and child health clinics’ operations during the state of emergency

Part-time care

Part-time care is not available until further notice.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy services will reopen 1 June. Regarding people over 70 years old and other risk groups we will follow the guidelines of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Healthgroups. Group activities will not be arranged during the summer.

Rehabilitative work activities

Customers of Helsinki’s rehabilitative work activities will gradually return in a controlled manner to hands-on work activities starting on 1 June. Activities will resume at the city-run Uusix workshops, the Open work activities location and the Pakila work centre, and also at contracted and individual work sites.

Restaurants at Service Centres

Restaurants at Service Centres are closed to outside visitors. They remain open to residents only.

School health care

School health care services continue normally at schools.

New school heath care arrangements

Self-treatment products

Self-treatment products will be posted to clients. Self-treatment products cannot be picked up from the distribution point.

Distribution of self-treatment products

Self-care groups

All group meetings to support the self-care of illnesses and lifestyle changes have been cancelled.

Senior centres

Friends and family may meet with senior centre and service house residents outdoors. These meetings must be agreed upon in advance with the staff of the care facility.

You can meet with senior centre and service house residents outdoors

The Service Centres at senior centres, such as Kamppi and Kinapori, are closed for the time being. Day activities units and group activities are closed until further notice.

Service Centres

All of the activity at the Service Centres are currently closed.

Short-time care

We recommend you avoid short-time care at present. The city units will contact those who have a pending care period.

Services for the disabled during the state of emergency

Sleep guidance groups

Sleep guidance groups are cancelled for the time being.

Social guidance for families with children

Meetings are held remotely by phone or Skype when possible.

Social guidance for families with children is available on weekdays from 9 am to 12 pm at tel. 09 3101 5454. Support is also available by clicking the electronic ‘Need help?’ icon on the Family support website.

Student health care