Rehabilitation in Åland
If your working ability is reduced due to illness or a disability, rehabilitation may be an option. Rehabilitation can provide support both in managing an illness and in returning to work. If your working capacity is reduced, rehabilitation is always the first option. In addition to public rehabilitation provided by various organisations, there are also private providers offering rehabilitation services in Åland.
More information on rehabilitation and the financial support available can be found on the page Rehabilitation in Finland. It includes information on sick pay, rehabilitation allowance and disability pension.
Types of rehabilitation
Åland has its own legislation in social services and healthcare, which means, for example, that the public healthcare system is responsible for providing medical rehabilitation. Kela is responsible for certain aspects of vocational rehabilitation, intensive medical rehabilitation, rehabilitative psychotherapy and discretionary rehabilitation. Kommunernas socialtjänst (KST) is responsible for, among other things, rehabilitative work activities and social rehabilitation.
Find out more about the different types of rehabilitation and the organisations that provide them in the tabs below.
The employment pension institutions are responsible for the vocational rehabilitation of persons who are still working or have recently worked. Kela is responsible for those who are not entitled to vocational rehabilitation under the employment pension system or accident and traffic insurance. Read more on Kela’s website on vocational rehabilitation.
The Åland Labour Market and Student Service Authority (AMS) is responsible for the rehabilitation of people who are unemployed or at risk of unemployment. Read more on the AMS website on vocational rehabilitation.
Åland Healthcare Service (ÅHS) is responsible for medical rehabilitation. Medical rehabilitation is provided to patients as part of their healthcare and includes, among other things, counselling, guidance, assessments of the patient’s functional and work capacity, rehabilitation options, as well as therapy designed to improve and maintain functional ability, assistive technology services, adaptive training and rehabilitation periods.
ÅHS also offers day rehabilitation for patients of working age. Rehabilitation may be required following, for example, a recent injury, illness or disability, or during a period of medical rehabilitation. Find out more on the ÅHS website.
The aim of intensive medical rehabilitation is to enable a person to work or carry out daily activities despite illness or disability. Åland Healthcare Service (ÅHS) is responsible for ensuring that all patients who are entitled to receive intensive medical rehabilitation through Kela receive the necessary documentation and support to apply for it. Read more about the eligibility criteria for medical rehabilitation on Kela’s website.
Rehabilitative work activities are designed to improve the employability and life skills of the long-term unemployed. The Finnish act on work activities does not apply in Åland. Instead, employment is granted in accordance with the provisions of the Social Welfare Act and the act on special care applicable in Åland.
Various types of employment schemes, such as work activities for people with disabilities, employment-focused activities and day centres, are approved by KST on the basis of an individual assessment of service needs.
Find out more about the different types of employment on the KST website.
Social rehabilitation includes, among other things, rehabilitation counselling and guidance, as well as, where necessary, the coordination of rehabilitation services, training in everyday skills and various life situations, group activities and support for social interaction, as well as other measures that promote social rehabilitation.
Social rehabilitation forms part of the multi-professional rehabilitation system and is carried out by KST in collaboration with, for example, medical and vocational rehabilitation services. The support is provided through close cooperation between ÅHS, AMS and Kela.
Find out more about social rehabilitation on the KST website and on the webpage for the KST project Framsteget.
The Disability Services Act does not apply in Åland. The THL website on legislation in Åland contains information on the areas of disability services that differ from Finnish legislation.
People with disabilities can get support and assistance in their daily lives through KST, which is responsible for social care and disability services in the municipalities of Åland. The Åland Healthcare Service (ÅHS) and Kela also offer support and assistive devices to a certain extent. Find out more about support and assistive devices for people with disabilities in Åland on the Info Norden website.
Right to rehabilitation
To be eligible for rehabilitation within the Åland public health and social care system, you must be a permanent resident of Åland. Read more on the Info Norden page Right to healthcare services in Åland.
More information
The Info Norden website contains information about rehabilitation in the other Nordic countries, as well as contact details for the authorities that can answer your questions.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.