The transition towards sustainable-smart aging in Finnish elderly healthcare
Sepehrian, Paniz (2025)
Diplomityö
2025
School of Energy Systems, Energiatekniikka
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20251215119784
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20251215119784
Tiivistelmä
Finland’s ageing population increases pressure on elderly healthcare and raises environmental, social, and economic sustainability concerns. This thesis explores how Finland can transition toward sustainable-smart elderly healthcare by linking sustainability goals with smart ageing solutions. Using a backcasting approach, it develops a 2050 vision and works backwards to identify milestones and actions for 2025–2050.
The study combines a literature and policy review with survey input from older adults and healthcare professionals. The findings suggest that Finland has existing foundations for digital health and preventive care, but major system-level barriers slow progress. Key barriers relate to fragmented governance across actors, workforce shortages, unequal digital access and skills, and resource-intensive care environments. Based on the vision, the thesis proposes a transition roadmap and system-level solutions that emphasize policy coherence, cross-sector collaboration, digital inclusion, and sustainable infrastructure planning. The results support longer-term decision-making for more resilient, equitable, and resource-efficient elderly care in Finland.
The study combines a literature and policy review with survey input from older adults and healthcare professionals. The findings suggest that Finland has existing foundations for digital health and preventive care, but major system-level barriers slow progress. Key barriers relate to fragmented governance across actors, workforce shortages, unequal digital access and skills, and resource-intensive care environments. Based on the vision, the thesis proposes a transition roadmap and system-level solutions that emphasize policy coherence, cross-sector collaboration, digital inclusion, and sustainable infrastructure planning. The results support longer-term decision-making for more resilient, equitable, and resource-efficient elderly care in Finland.