Riigikohus: riik peab erihooldekodu koha tagama

Riigikohus: riik peab erihooldekodu koha tagama

EN

Supreme Court: the state must ensure a place in a special care home

Riigikohus selgitas esmaspäeval otsuses, et kui inimene vajab erihooldekodu kohta, peab riik selle talle kindlustama. Abivajajat ei tohi panna .
Kohtuasi puudutas 37-aastast meest psüühilise erivajadusega. Tartu linnavalitsus esitas tema eestkostjana ile (SKA) taotluse e saamiseks. 2022. aasta veebruaris otsustas SKA, et mees vajab . Samas pandi ta , sest hetkel polnud vaba kohta.
Mees paigutati . Tartu linn kandis osa tema kuludest. Märtsis 2024 esitas Tartu linn halduskohtule kaebuse, sest mees ei olnud saanud erihooldust enam kui kaks aastat.
SKA vaidles kaebusele vastu. Amet ütles, et erihooldekodu koha saamine sõltub riigieelarve võimalustest ja kohtade olemasolust.
Kõik kolm kohtuastet pidasid kaebust põhjendatuks. Riigikohus ütles, et riik peab erihoolekandeks raha leidma. Riigil ei ole õigust , kui on vaja seaduse järgi.
Riigikohus rõhutas, et riik peab kohtade tagamiseks. Riik peab koostööd tegema erasektori ja kohalike omavalitsustega.
Riigikontrolli aruande järgi kasvas olevate inimeste arv Eestis aastatel 2018–2024 ligi kahekorra. Kohtade arv aga vähenes. 2026. aasta alguses ootas erihooldekodu kohta 807 inimest.
Riigikohus ütles, et on toetada inimese iseseisvat toimetulekut. Praegusel juhul ootas mees erihooldekodu kohta juba üle nelja aasta.
Riigikohus märkis, et abivajaja peab saama erihooldekodu kohta . Ooteaeg ei tohi ega väärikust. Praegusel juhul pidavad kohtud mõistlikuks ajaks kuni kolm kuud.
Riigikohus nõudis, et SKA annaks abivajajale koha kümne päeva jooksul .
On Monday, the Supreme Court clarified in its decision that if a person needs a place in a special care home, the state must ensure it for them. A person in need must not be placed on an endless waiting list.
The court case concerned a 37-year-old man with a mental disability. The Tartu city government, acting as his guardian, submitted an application to the Social Insurance Board (SKA) for special care services. In February 2022, SKA decided that the man required round-the-clock special care. However, he was placed on a waiting list because no place was available at the time.
The man was temporarily placed in a general care home. The city of Tartu covered part of his costs. In March 2024, Tartu city filed a complaint with the administrative court because the man had not received special care for more than two years.
SKA disputed the complaint. The agency stated that obtaining a place in a special care home depends on the state budget's possibilities and the availability of places.
All three court levels found the complaint justified. The Supreme Court stated that the state must find funds for special care. The state has no right to plan less money than required by law.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the state must act actively to secure places. The state must cooperate with the private sector and local governments.
According to the National Audit Office's report, the number of people on the waiting list for special care in Estonia nearly doubled between 2018 and 2024. Meanwhile, the number of available places decreased. At the beginning of 2026, 807 people were waiting for a place in a special care home.
The Supreme Court stated that the purpose of social protection is to support a person's independent coping. In this case, the man had already been waiting for a place in a special care home for over four years.
The Supreme Court noted that a person in need must receive a place in a special care home within a reasonable time. The waiting period must not harm a person's health or dignity. In this case, the courts considered up to three months a reasonable time.
The Supreme Court demanded that SKA provide the person in need with a place within ten days of the court decision taking effect.