COVID-19_elderly migrants in Finland
Corona vaccinations divide opinions amongst older migrants in Finland - Nearly half wants a vaccination but many still have doubts, 2021.
Together with The Finnish Consortium of Intercultural Elderly Care, we have published a report - Corona vaccinations divide opinions amongst older migrants in Finland - Nearly half wants a vaccination but many still have doubts.
Click here to download our COVID-19 vaccinations report amongst older migrants in Finland
With the corona pandemic, concerns about the foreign-language speaking older group members arose among organizations that implement activities for them. Employees were concerned about how the group members would cope in unusual circumstances, whether they had received enough information to protect themselves from the coronavirus, and whether the information from authorities had reached the elderly belonging to ethnic and language minorities. These concerns developed into a collaborative study of the foreign-language speaking elderly and their coping in the unusual circumstances caused by the coronavirus in the spring of 2020. How are we doing? -report highlighted the thoughts of elderly people in the early stages of the corona crisis. The report points out that the authorities' information did not reach foreign-language speakers comprehensively enough, and that many older people relied on the help of relatives, friends, or third sector organization workers. A clear wish from the older people was to receive information in their native language and in a way that was accessible for them. For some older people with a foreign background, it is already challenging to apply for services which is due to the lack of accessibility and equality of services. Accessibility of services became a particularly burning issue during the health and well-being affected by the corona crisis, as the older persons belong to a risk group regarding COVID-19.
Restrictions in society caused by corona were tightened in early 2021 as infection rates increased, even though at the same time corona vaccinations had been started in stages for health care personnel, the oldest age groups, and those belonging to risk groups. The organization workers have continued with remote group activities and providing information for the older group members in their own language throughout the unusual corona year. The discussion in society about the corona situation and corona vaccinations has increased the visibility and discussion of the issue among the participants in group activities as well. The
debate on vaccinations among the elderly varied, on one hand, much information was needed and vaccinations stirred interest and on the other hand, the vaccines and the vaccination process caused suspicion and growing concern for some. The organizations decided to find out the foreign-language speaking older people’s thoughts about the corona vaccinations and whether they were in the need of information and possible help relating the subject. Similarly, as in the spring of 2020, the issue was approached together with the elderly, participating in the activities of the organizations, to clarify the situation.
Translated by Mari Pöllänen, JADE Activity Centre
Multicultural Memory Centre - The Finnish Society for Memory Work, 2021
How are we doing? - report, 2020
Report on the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on the Lives of Older Migrants in Finland.
Click here to download our report How are we doing?
Information highways and trails of care. How are older migrants and minorities coping with pandemic situation in Finland?
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s day to day life
Older people are mostly affected
NGOs working with older migrants needed to pause group activities
Older people who belong to language and ethnic minorities seem to have fallen behind when we are all surfing the information highways.
Society for Memory Disorders Expertise in Finland, ETNIMU activity 2015-2020
Takaisin