The Briefing
- Emergency phones off for 24 hours
- Resident triggered alarm 11 times
- Disciplinary action expected for staff
An elderly resident died alone in their room at a care facility in Espoo last weekend after repeatedly calling for help that never came.
The resident activated their safety wristband alarm 11 times within an hour, but both staff phones designated to receive the alerts were switched off—one had a completely dead battery, the other was barely charged.
Attendo, one of Finland’s largest private care providers, confirmed the incident at its Olarinpuisto facility. The company acknowledged it as a “serious neglect of duties” in an internal communication to staff.
“We have informed our personnel that guidelines must be followed and work equipment must be properly maintained,” said Sini Korpinen, Attendo’s Customer Experience and Communications Director, to Iltalehti.
Maria Borg, Attendo’s Regional Director for Southern Finland, described the incident as a “serious deviation.”
The company is required to report the case to the regional wellbeing authority and notify Finland’s licensing and supervisory agency. A police investigation has not been ruled out, and the cause of death is currently under examination.
No employees have been terminated so far.
No employees have been terminated so far, though Borg indicated that “managerial measures” are forthcoming.
Notably, there was no staffing shortage at the time of the incident. The facility’s four group homes, housing 15 residents in total, were fully staffed according to standard protocols.
Attendo waited until Wednesday to communicate internally about the weekend incident, stating it wanted to first conduct an internal review.
Finland’s elderly care sector has faced recurring scrutiny over staffing levels and quality standards, particularly at private providers.
Attendo itself has been at the center of previous controversies regarding care quality. The country’s aging population, with nearly a quarter of residents expected to be over 65 by 2030, has intensified pressure on care infrastructure, raising questions about whether current oversight mechanisms are sufficient to prevent tragedies like this one.
In Finland, municipalities often outsource elderly care to private companies like Attendo. While these companies are supervised by Valvira, the system relies heavily on “self-monitoring,” where providers are expected to report their own failures.
