Residential care housing

• A resident placed in a care home based on a municipal outsourcing agreement pays the municipality an amount determined by his or her income.
• The municipality may also grant the customer a service voucher, the value of which is determined by the customer's income. In these cases, the recipient of the service voucher pays the service provider the amount by which the service price exceeds the value of the service voucher.
• One may also seek private residential care housing by paying the fees in their entirety oneself.

Living in residential care housing is considered outpatient care, but the line between institutional care and enhanced round-the-clock care in a care home may often be blurred. Drawing this line may be difficult, but the difference is significant in terms of customer fees and social security.

• In a care home the resident pays rent or maintenance charges for the apartment and additional fees for services as needed. Care homes have common areas for residents, many of which also operate as service centres for senior citizens in the area.
• Institutional care covers all care, accommodation and other upkeep such as medication. Unlike those residing in care housing, those in institutional care do not receive pensioners' housing allowance, care allowance or compensation for medical treatment from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).