Rollator March Reaches 30 Municipalities as Pirkanmaa Demands Better Elder Care

The rollator march that began in Tampere last year has spread to at least 36 towns across Finland, with demonstrators calling for dignified aging, better housing, round-the-clock care, accessible home services and non-digital options for older residents, YLE says. Originally launched as the Rollaattorimarssi in Tampere, the protests also reached Lahti for the first time, and events were held in cities including Helsinki.

According to YLE, organisers say the march is politically non-aligned and that the events are run by volunteers. Participants also raise concerns that care quality is not even across the country, and that it can be difficult for older people to access around-the-clock assistance when needed. Outi Mäenpää from the Pirkanmaa Memory Association warns that cuts affecting social and healthcare organisations could further weaken preventive services — which help people remain independent for longer.

Pirha's elderly council — made up of older residents from across the region — says members' biggest worry is housing: too few communal living options and round-the-clock assisted-living places mean many people end up waiting in hospital wards. Institutional care is scheduled to be phased out by the end of next year. The group warns this makes more alternative housing urgently necessary and says older people should be able to stay near their former homes and loved ones.

Home services are another major concern. "On an individual level I'm worried where I'll be able to live when I can no longer manage at home," says Taina Törmä, chair of the council. Members say support services are tied too strictly to decisions on regular home care and have urged the regional council to grant support based on assessed need. The group is also alarmed by the digitisation of services and stresses the region must keep phone and face-to-face options; officials were praised for last year's paper leaflet for over-65s listing services and phone numbers, a format the group wants continued. Participants in last year's march also protested closures of meeting places and cuts to preventive activities.