The police is currently investigating around 30 matters in the whole country that are directly or indirectly related to elderly care. The police always takes suspected criminal activities seriously when they concern vulnerable parties, such as the elderly.
During the negotiations between Valvira and the National Police Board on Monday, 18 February 2019, it was noted that the tasks of the police and Valvira are clear and the cooperation and communication between the police and the supervisory authorities work well.
The tasks that the police receives concerning elderly care and their investigation will be handled in the police departments in line with the principle of regional responsibility, and it has not been necessary to centralize these tasks. The police also informs the supervisory authorities about other police operation observations that fall under the responsibility of the supervisory authorities.
Some of these cases are under preliminary investigation, some are suspected for various crimes, and some cases are at the stage of the final statement and proceeding to the consideration of charges. According to Police Chief Superintendent Heikki Lausmaa , the number of requests for investigation and the number of investigations have not shown any considerable changes in the past few years.
- Almost all police departments receive some suspected criminal activity notifications related to elderly care annually. These are individual cases, and the types of crime vary.
Monitoring of elderly care is carried out by the supervisory authorities, which are the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) and the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI). The law concerning elderly care additionally obligates operators to ensure the quality of their services with in-house control.
The police does not supervise institutions for elderly care independently, but is required to officially assist supervisory authorities in the implementation of their inspections.
- A part of the notifications concerning elderly care are reported to the police by supervisory authorities. The police receives notifications from family members and other sources, and can also start pre-trial investigations on their own initiative. Besides notifying the police about any suspicious activities, the supervisory authorities also have an important role as an expert in the police investigations, Lausmaa adds.
If you suspect something is lacking concerning the elderly care of a family member, please primarily contact the nursing unit or the supervising authority. If you suspect a criminal offence, please contact your local police department.
