Briefly in EnglishThe Memory Association of Southern Ostrobothnia
The Memory Association of Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland, was founded in 1987 and is a member of the nationwide Alzheimer Society of Finland (Muistiliitto ry).
The association has its permanent premises in Kauhava (Ylihärmä).
We organize activities for people with memory problems and conditions, and for their caregivers at various locations in our area, for example groups. We have groups for elderly people, too. Some of our groups are led by volunteers.
The Board of the Association has nine members, and it directs and supervises the work of the Association and its projects.
We
- develop new opportunities to support people with memory problems and conditions, and for their caregivers
- organize services to them and other people who are interested in our work, including the preventive work, like brain health
- give advice, guidance, and informational leaflets, including information of rights
Member of our association
Subscription is 20 € / year, and all members will receive The Muisti-magazine (“The Memory” magazine) 4 times per year, which is published by the Alzheimer Society of Finland. We post our own member bulletin 3-5 times per year.
Members are welcome to join in the various events! Don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Our on-going projects:
Muistiluotsi (The Memory Pilot) is a local part of The Expert and Support Centres’ Network. We give guidance and support, and have lessons, groups, and events. We have about 100 volunteers, who are group leaders and volunteer-friends for elderly and people with memory problems. We support them in their valuable work. We do advocacy work in our area.
Muisti mukana menossa -project (The Memory Going Along) was a 3-year project which deals with the preventive work. The background of this project is in The FINGER - research project.
Our previous projects
We’ve had nearly 20 different kinds of projects since 1992. Some of them had aim to give support and guidance and organize a support-system in our area. We’ve had three projects where the aim was cultural aspects among elderly people in the countryside or in towns and cities of our area. One of the projects dealt with people who had disabilities and memory problems. Don’t hesitate to ask more!
Donations
We’re happy to welcome any donations made to our association. If You are a private person or an organization, either way You can get more information on donating, and on everything else by contacting our executive manager Minna Huhtamäki-Kuoppala, minna.huhtamaki-kuoppala(at)muistiyhdistys.fi. Thank You!
Videos
You can find some videos here, some of them are subtitled in English.
What have we done since year 1987?
The South Ostrobothnian Memory Association was founded in 1987. During its operation, the association, together with the provinces social and health care providers, and other collaborators, has developed services and supporting actions for people with memory problems, as well as their families and caregivers. The main financer has been the funding centre for social welfare and health organisations (STEA). Previously Finland’s slot machine association (RAY) has been a key financer, together with other smaller donations and grants.
The first project was based on a regional treatment program. The project handled the guidance to rehabilitation of dementia patients. This project started in 1992 and continued with a project on improving the quality of care in dementia homes. The cooperation continued in the region, with among others, networking, memory clinics, improving the customer control unit of the elderly, and grasping the current topics: how exercise, diet, and culture affect a person’s wellbeing as a part of promoting brain health and the everyday life of a rehabilitating elderly person.
During the last few years, community, culture, memory and age friendly brain health promoting subjects have been the centre of attention in the improving projects of the association. The memory pilot project started a regional expert and support hub in 2006.
Cooperation has been diverse with other operators. For example, with operators developing technologies for health care, cooperation has been ongoing for decades. Other patient and caregiver organizations, sports clubs and youth clubs, or networking with different public sector operators has been beneficial, like being recognized more often, and getting the methods we’ve created to be used and “take root” in the system. We have also been able to accompany the developing and constructing of the services for people with memory problems, and gave a voice for the patients and families in the workshops that are improving the welfare area.
South Ostrobothnian Memory Association’s vision for the year 2025 is to be recognized as an important partner and organisation in the towns of South Ostrobothnia and the welfare area. We monitor the needs and phenomena affecting South Ostrobothnian residents with memory problems, as well as their families, and the target groups.
In the advocacy work, the challenges and needs of everyday life of the target groups are brought up. The association tries to improve the methods of operation together with people with memory problems, their families, municipal officials, and other cooperating entities in the welfare area.
The goal is to remain a recognized expert in memory disease, networked developer, service provider and a trusted cooperative operator. The association’s regional, diverse, and flexible function covers the whole region with its operating models and demands the knowledge of the groups and area, and recourses for mobility and the possibility of organizing opportunities to participate.
The long-winded work with projects has provided permanent operating models, that have moulded alongside the ever-changing operating environment, to better suit the needs of patients.
2024-02-18
