Digi Citizen

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA)

During my lifetime, I have used Kela’s services in various ways. When I was studying in high school and university of applied sciences, I received financial aid for students as well as a housing supplement from Kela. Additionally, before graduating with my degree, I received labor market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance from Kela. Student benefits have changed somewhat over the past ten years. For about a decade, my family has not been eligible for Kela’s benefits, and I am currently not entitled to student financial aid or housing support, even though I am a student.

Our first child was born at the end of last year, so since then, we have been eligible for family benefits. Last summer, we received a maternity package through Kela, and in addition, Kela paid maternity allowance (raskausraha) to my employer for 40 workdays when I left work before my child was born. After maternity allowance, Kela has paid me parental allowance (vanhempainpäiväraha) since I am currently on parental leave from my job. Additionally, Kela pays us child benefit, and later this year we will receive home care allowance.

European Health Insurance Card

I have had a European Health Insurance Card for years and always take it with me when traveling in Europe. A new card is sent directly to my home when the old one expires. Fortunately, I have never had to use it, but I have felt the security it provides while traveling.

OmaKanta

OmaKanta is a familiar service to me and I use it regularly. I log into the Kanta service with my online banking credentials. I have used the service for renewing prescriptions and checking my own or my child’s medical records.

Keva

The Keva pension record makes for an interesting (and somewhat depressing :D) read. My minimum retirement age is currently 67 years and 8 months, meaning I still have 33 years and 5 months of working life ahead of me before reaching retirement. My target retirement age seems to be just before I turn 70. If I retire at around 68, I will receive a gross pension of approximately 1580 euros per month. The question asked how much I would receive at 63, but Keva’s calculator doesn’t even allow me to calculate such a scenario. The amount would probably be quite low at that point.

It seems that retirement ages have increased significantly in recent years, so even the assignment hasn’t kept up with the latest changes. Truly depressing. The upper age limit for pension accrual appears to be 70 years, so my highest possible estimated pension would be around 1840 euros per month. I recall checking my pension record every now and then, and once again, I can only conclude that year after year, the retirement age looks even more daunting.

Digital Stores

I visited Amazon.com and looked into the pricing of products there. I browsed both electronic items and cosmetics and hair care products. In my opinion, the prices were not significantly lower, especially in the electronics section. However, the selection is quite extensive compared to brick-and-mortar stores, which provides more options, and there are likely more affordable alternatives available. When it comes to cosmetics and hair care products, the prices seemed to be slightly lower than those in physical stores. I personally order products from this category online, as I believe I can get them at a slightly cheaper price (even when factoring in shipping costs). Additionally, ordering everything at once saves me the trouble of visiting multiple stores in person. I have never personally ordered anything from Amazon, but as far as I understand, it is a global and widely used online marketplace, so I would assume it to be at least a relatively safe place to shop.

When traveling abroad, I often book accommodations through websites such as Trivago or Hotels.com, as their pricing is often considerably lower compared to booking directly with the accommodation provider. Additionally, one of the advantages of these platforms is that browsing and comparing different accommodation options is much easier when everything is compiled in one place. The service I have received from both websites has always been reliable and hassle-free.

Care To Translate -app

Care to Translate is a free mobile application designed for healthcare professionals to communicate with patients or clients who speak different languages. The app includes pre-written phrases and questions for various patient care situations, and it can play the selected phrase aloud in the chosen language. According to Care to Translate’s official website, the app offers over 3500 phrases and translations in 47 different languages (Care To Translate). The selection of available translations is extensive, and they are categorized under different headings to make it easier to find relevant phrases. I have personally used this app in my work as a post-anesthesia care unit nurse when I have had foreign patients and an interpreter was not immediately available. Often, an interpreter is scheduled for a specific time slot—such as an hour before discharge—but communication with the patient is needed throughout the entire recovery period, from their arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit to discharge or transfer to the ward. I have found the app to be quite practical in situations where there is no shared language with the patient. It allows smooth communication, even in simple matters such as asking about pain levels or the need to use the restroom.

Special Groups as Users of Digital Services

Especially elderly individuals and other special groups (such as people with disabilities or foreign nationals) may find using digital services challenging or even be excluded from them altogether. Additionally, the lack of online banking credentials or other forms of electronic authentication can make access to services more difficult. In my opinion, it is important to ensure that digital service development considers accessibility so that all customer groups have equal opportunities to use them, and no one is left out. If necessary, special groups should be offered support or guidance on how to use digital services.

Summary

I was born in the early 1990s, so I have grown up alongside digital services. Personally, I find that digital services make my life easier, as I can handle many everyday tasks from the comfort of my home. For example, communication with healthcare professionals has improved through telemedicine and chat services, allowing me to get help for urgent matters without having to leave home. Similarly, handling affairs with institutions such as Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) and the Tax Administration has become more convenient, as there is no longer a need to fill out paper forms and submit them in person.

However, I understand that digitalization poses challenges, especially for elderly individuals who have lived most of their lives without electronic services. Nonetheless, I believe that many seniors have successfully adapted to the digital world and are now efficiently managing their affairs online as well

I commented:

Wonderful Digitalized World

Amtsilandia

Mind your step