At the beginning of October, there were over 2000 people in the queue for special care. The queue has remained the same length for a long time. The Social Insurance Board says the situation is bad.
The Supreme Court said in April that the state must find a place in a special care home for a person if they need it. The state cannot allocate less money to the budget than is needed. However, there are still many people waiting for the service.
The director of the Social Insurance Board, Lagle Kalberg, said the situation is critical. "We have 2000 people in the queue. About 700 of them said they are ready to go to the service immediately," said Kalberg. However, many do not receive help because there is no suitable place for them or there is not enough money.
In October, 2049 people were waiting for the service. There have been over 2200 applications for places. One person can apply for multiple services at the same time. Therefore, the numbers are different.
Compared to the beginning of the year, the queue is shorter by 200 people. Kalberg said that more people have received a place in the service or have been called. Some people leave the queue on their own when they are told about other options.
At the beginning of October, there were 54 vacancies. The Social Insurance Board expects a response from the person within 10 days whether they will take the place.
The Supreme Court said that the state must have enough money to help people. If a person is entitled to help, the state must assist them. The state must act to find more places and collaborate.
The Ministry of Social Affairs wanted an additional 200 million euros for special care. However, the government is adding only 37 million. This money will go to the entire social and healthcare sector.
The Chamber of Disabled Persons advises a person to go to court if they do not receive help. However, the chamber says that 37 million is still a good start.
Special care services are intended for people with mental disorders. They need assistance and supervision in daily life. Special care helps them become more independent.