Estonia’s dementia care system leaves families without support

Care for people with dementia in Estonia has largely been left to their relatives, ERR reported, citing a recent study that calls for a unified support system.

Nearly 27,000 people in Estonia currently live with dementia, and the issue is becoming more pressing as the population ages. The diagnosis affects not only the person with dementia but also their relatives.

Hanna-Stiina Heinmets, a consultant at the Dementia Competence Centre, said families most urgently need services that would give them time to rest.

“Their daily work is caregiving, and they may also be working at the same time. They effectively have two full-time jobs and generally cannot afford days off. They need someone to take over the care for a few days,” Heinmets said.

In many municipalities, home care is limited to bringing firewood indoors and delivering food. When a person with dementia needs help, for example, with taking medication, families are often advised to place them in a care home, even when they could still live at home.

At the same time, care homes are reluctant to accept people with severe dementia. Some people have been turned away by five or six care homes, Heinmets said.

A recent study found that access to support often depends on where a person lives.

“The situation is generally better in centres. There are day centres and more services, choices and resources. The most difficult situation is in sparsely populated rural areas,” said Jane Ester, an analyst at Praxis.

Ester said the first step should be to create an integrated support system for both people with dementia and their relatives. Each family should have a designated contact person who would reach out to relatives, regularly assess what help they need and assist them in finding it, rather than leaving them to navigate different institutions on their own.

The Ministry of Social Affairs said a planned reform of the health and social care sectors should improve the situation. With the help of European Union funding, the government hopes to begin testing solutions in two years that would help people with dementia cope at home for longer.

Kadri Mets, head of disability rights policy at the ministry, said people can already turn to the Dementia Competence Centre and its information line for assistance.