Social benefits and services for older adults

• Pension supplement: all elderly residents of Tallinn will be paid a pension supplement of 125 euros a year
• Discounts with pension supplement: the pension supplement will give you discounts at select pharmacies and car repair and tire change shops.
• Services and support for people who were in Chernobyl: for Chernobyl veterans residing in Tallinn
• Funeral benefits: support to help organise a funeral for Tallinn residents.
• A benefit for a pensioner living alone: governmental aid for a pensioner living alone
• Subsistence benefit: support to ensure coping: compensation for the cost of medication, assistance aids or other necessary tools for life.
• Income-based benefits: support for covering the cost of medication, assistance aids or other tools necessary for life.

 

Home support

Tallinn offers various services that allow older adults in need of personal assistance to live in their own home as long as possible. You can apply for these services at the social welfare unit of your place of residence.

• Home service (care at home): home service includes help with cleaning, housework and personal care.
• Alarm button: social security service for older adults which allows them to call for help quickly in the event of an accident.
• Adapting the living space: adapt the living space for people with physical disabilities, ramps
• Assistance aids: an assistance aid with a discount from the government
• Home nurse: for people who have chronic diseases and do not need consent supervision from a doctor but need nursing and counselling for everyday coping.
• Social housing: housing for people or families who are not able to ensure their own housing and need help coping with everyday life (social services and benefits).
• Social transportation: transport service paid partially or fully by Tallinn.

 

Activities during the day

Day centres provide elderly people the opportunity to spend their free time socially and communicate with other people. In addition to social services, the day centres offer an affordable lunch, hobby activities and beauty services. Find the day centre nearest to your home and check out the hobby activities offered.

• Day centre for older adults: elderly people can socialise and meet other people their age, participate in various affordable hobby activities and use the sauna at Tallinn’s day centres.
• Book delivery: Tallinn residents whose health condition does not allow them to visit a library can get books delivered to their home once a month.
• Catering: soup kitchens provide one warm meal a day for people. You can find more information about the catering offered at day centres here.
• Saunas: shower facilities for people who do not have them at their place of residence; sauna service for a fee.
• Self-Help and Advisory Association for Senior Citizens: an association for people of pension age, hobby activities, counselling, events

 

Counselling services for the elderly

How to manage financially if your income is small or you are suddenly hit with unexpected expenses; psychological crisis counselling to cope with difficult situations.

• Debt counselling: counselling on how to manage and pay off your current debt and avoid new debt. 
• Budget counselling: advising a person and their family on how to better manage their money and avoid debt.
• Legal counselling: free legal aid for low-income Tallinn residents.
• Crisis support counselling: psychological crisis aid, crisis hotline
• Tallinna Pensionäride Ühendus: counselling pensioners.
• Tallinn Activity Centre for the Disabled: protecting the rights of people with chronical illnesses and disabilities, counselling.
• Self-Help and Advisory Association for Senior Citizens: an association for people of pension age, hobby activities, counselling, events.

 

Support for carers of their family members

Services meant for you if you help a family member in their daily activities. A carer looking after a family member can take a temporary break with the support of a substitute or take their loved one with dementia to a day centre.

• Carer’s allowance: monetary support for a carer looking after a family member, appointing a carer
• Substitute for a carer looking after a family member: a carer looking after a family member can have a short-term break.
• Day centre for older adults with memory impairment: a safe environment for older people with dementia.
• Dementia Competence Centre: living with dementia, help and information on caring for a loved one with dementia.
• Appointing a guardian: a guardian needs to be appointed by the court to a person who cannot protect their assets, rights and interests themselves.
• Support for living in a care home: Tallinn partially supports the care of low-income elderly people in care homes.

 

Tallinn Social Welfare and Health Care Department’s projects

• Assistance for a Carer
• ‘Application of a people-centric care and health system coordination model in Tallinn’