Viola-koti is a
sheltered house for elderly in Tampere. It provides sheltered housing for 60
residents but also sports and rehabilitation services to both residents and
elderly living in their own homes. Viola-koti has had international exchange
trainees for example from Spain, Hungary, Poland and Belgium during the years
it has been cooperating with TAMK.
- People living
in their own homes prefer swimming pools, residents participate more in other
groups. We also try to support family caregivers, for example by drawing up
chair exercises to them, physiotherapist Teija
Vihervaara says.
- Clients like foreign trainees even though the language is sometimes challenging. Some of them have been living abroad, so they are happy to speak English.
- Clients like foreign trainees even though the language is sometimes challenging. Some of them have been living abroad, so they are happy to speak English.
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| Helmi Vahtera, Maire Järvinen and Maija Pöri participated in chair exercise. |
According to Teija's
experience, students' cultural background has an effect how students react to situations
they confront in placements.
- Some students don´t
think it is very important that elderly people leave their homes and come here
to get social contacts. Also students' own culture affects how clients are
contacted.
Before Viola-koti,
Hungarian physiotherapy students Edit
Sió and Hanna Szolnoky had been
at Tammelakeskus health centre. What kind of differences in physiotherapy have they
discovered between Hungary and Finland?
- It has been useful to see how physiotherapists do their job in Finland. At Tammelakeskus we got our perception about the health centre. It was a new experience for us, because in Hungary there are no health centres, only hospitals, Edit says.
- It has been useful to see how physiotherapists do their job in Finland. At Tammelakeskus we got our perception about the health centre. It was a new experience for us, because in Hungary there are no health centres, only hospitals, Edit says.
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| Edit and Hanna have enjoyed their stay in Tampere. |
- Individual
therapy is really common in Hungary. In Finland, there is more group therapy, for
example at gyms. In Hungary, if you had a surgery you go to physiotherapy every
day, while in Finland the responsibility for rehabilitation is given more to a patient,
students say.
- I think you
have understood the importance of prevention, that´s the most important thing. My
impression is that in Hungary elderly are not in that good physical
condition as in Finland, Edit says.
- Language barrier is higher when working with elderly, so misunderstandings are more common than with younger people. However, clients are really motivated. They want to know what is the purpose of each exercise, Hanna and Edit say.
- Language barrier is higher when working with elderly, so misunderstandings are more common than with younger people. However, clients are really motivated. They want to know what is the purpose of each exercise, Hanna and Edit say.
Text and photos: Marika Kyllönen
