Ratas supports improving accessibility to special care services

Stenbock House, 17 April 2018 – Yesterday, while visiting Vääna-Viti Home, which offers special care services, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas confirmed his wish to improve accessibility to special care services and increase the wages of welfare workers.

According to Ratas, the government aims to provide more help to people with special mental needs living at home or in a similar environment. "We must aim for people to be able to live as independently as they can, regardless of their special needs – live, work, study, and use other public services, just like other people," he said.

According to Ratas, it is important for increasing amounts of people with special needs to reintegrate into the community. "It is just as important for the community to accept them as rightful members of society with equal rights and opportunities," he said.

He confirmed that accessibility to special care services should also be improved and waiting lists for services should be shortened. To improve accessibility to special care services and increase the wages of welfare workers, the government found additional funds for the next four years in the budget strategy of the country, on the principles of which an agreement was made at the end of last week. "As Estonia is doing better than ever before, it is our duty to ensure a dignified life for each person in the country. I would also like to commend all welfare workers – they do complex but gratifying work in supporting the daily lives of people with special needs," he said.

Vääna-Viti Home, which provides around-the-clock special care to people with special mental needs, has been operating since 2008. From 2013, the service is also provided in five family houses. In total, 90 people live in the Vääna-Viti Home of AS Hoolekandeteenused, 60 of whom live in family houses.

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