Kela
KELA is The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. It was founded in 1937 to handle retirement pay. In the 1980s and 1990s, its role was expanded to handle other fields like child benefits, unemployment benefits, sickness benefits, health insurance and student financial aid.
My family has received many benefits from Kela. When my husband and I were studying, we got students allowance. During maternity leave, Kela has given financial support over many months, maternity packs also. My husband has been able to be at home with the children. We have three children, from whom we receive child benefits. I had a long lasting finger injury, Kela paid sickness benefits. An adult can stay home to take care of a sick child.
I already have a European health care card.
Omakanta
OmaKanta offers you access to check your health information at home. You can decide by yourself if all the information is available to all healthcare professionals. Accessing OmaKanta is easy with the strong authentication. Via OmaKanta you can see your prescriptions, health information and corona passport certification. I have used OmaKanta many times, it is easy to read epicrisis and check recipes.
Pension
Keva is the biggest pension provider in the public sector. According to Keva´s pension calculator, my lowest retirement age is 66 years and 7 months. According to that, I would retire on February 19, 2046. Retiring before at age 66 isn´t even an option on Keva´s calculator. The older I retire, the more money I get per month.
Online shopping
I have used for example nike.com, amazon.co.uk, booking.com and trivago.fi. I spend money wisely and find out about different prices. I compare prices a lot, prices vary. I would love to buy all the products I need from the shops in Kuopio, but that is not possible. Availability, quality and price are important. I have been able to trust online stores, everything has gone well. If I make a hotel reservation, I always do it on the hotel´s own website.
Service from my own field: terveyskyla.fi
Health Village (Terveyskylä) offers information and support for everyone, care for patients and tools for professionals. Naistalo.fi contains information about pregnancy, childbirth, sexual health and gynecological health. I use this website a lot in my work and guide my clients to find information. The content of the public service has been produced by social and health care professionals together with the users of the service.
Digitalization and digital gap
During last decade almost all the daily services has been digitalized partly or totally. Including shopping, health care, banking, messages between home and school and so on. The development has been fast and it is difficult to keep up. It would be difficult to survive without a computer and smartphone.
Digitalization saves money and time, it is clear. Digitalization can be difficult for all of us, but especially for older people. They have not had to use smart devices in their youth. My parents are about 75 years old. My father has never adapted to the changes of digitalization, my mother is doing a little better. Older people need more help and not all things can be done virtually. My mother knows how to use banking services, insurance services, read digital newspapers and listen to audiobooks. It will take a long time until all generations have the same digital skills.
Digital Competence Test
Self-reflection
These assignments taught me what it means to be a digi citizen. I have always thought that I have too little knowledge and skills regarding digitalization. When I now compare my skills to older people, I´m doing really well.
I meet and interact with a lot of people in my work. I need digitalization at work and at home, but the days contain much more. Digitalization is important and has changed many things, but meeting people is valuable.
Assignments gave me good information about my own digitalization skills. I realized that I need exercise and concentration to correct my shortcomings. Awareness of security is very important part of my work. I also realized that I need to improve my communication skills on digital field. Assignments made me think digitalization from different perspectives. I bravely learn new skills. This whole course is a challenge for me, but this is how it goes. I´m learning new things all the time, it feels great.
Blogs I commented:
DIGI CITIZEN: https://blogi.savonia.fi/tonivaaja/digi-citizen/
DIGI CITIZEN: https://blogi.savonia.fi/annasistonen/
DIGI CITIZEN: https://blogi.savonia.fi/francescabonaparte/digi-citizen/
Hi Anu!
My parents have about the same digitalization skills as yours. I think there always will be some sort of gap of digitalization skills between younger and older people.
Hey Anu,
How nice to read your blog. I think your digital skills are in good shape., but we can always learn more. I think it’s important that we think carefully what kind of apps and websites we use and what kind of permissions to our privacy we give them. The Digital competence test was great tool to show what kind of digital expertise we have and where we have to improve.