Hoivatyö ja teknologia 2019–2024 : Iäkkäiden parissa tehtyä hoivatyötä ja sen teknologisoitumista käsittelevän pitkittäiskyselyn aineistoraportti

The Care Work and Technology survey is part of the Center of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare), funded by the Academy of Finland (grant no. 312367 and 336671). In 2026, the final stages of the report was funded by Strategic Research Council, situated as part of the Academy of Finland (grant no. 372418). This unique longitudinal study, conducted between 2018 and 2025, followed the views of the same respondents on changes in care work of older people as well as the growing role of technology in care work. This report presents an up-to-date overview of care work in Finland, including the use of technology and its impacts on working conditions, work practices, and care relationships. The survey was designed in collaboration with experts from four trade unions (Tehy, SuPer, JHL and Talentia). The first survey was conducted in spring 2019, with the first follow-up survey taking place in spring 2021 and the second in spring 2024. Therefore, the study covers significant transformation, such as the crises of rising care costs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the national social and health sector (SOTE) reform. The study sample consisted of 47 854 trade union members, 6 189 of whom responded to the 2019 survey. Of these, a total of 3 607 respondents joined the panel, with 1 726 participating in the 2021 follow-up survey and 878 in the 2024 follow-up survey. The final combined longitudinal dataset includes 800 respondents whose responses cover the entire study period. The surveys included questions about employment relationships, working hours, the nature of work, and the use of devices, applications, and systems in care work. Topics such as the intensity of technology use, video call application use, social working conditions, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the SOTE reform were added to the follow-up surveys. The questionnaire was designed based on previous studies and it was tested before implementation. The surveys were conducted online in Finnish and Swedish (only the first wave). This report summarises the key findings of the entire dataset and provides information on changes and technological developments in care work with older people. Particular attention is paid to temporal changes and sector-specific differences, such as the views of employees in intensive service housing (“TPA”) and homecare (“kotihoito”). Open-ended responses have been discussed in separate publications and theses. This report provides valuable information for researchers and societal stakeholders involved in care provision. It shows that the technologisation of care work has progressed significantly during the report period and its impacts on working conditions and care relationships are manifold. At the same time, the daily practices of care workers have been shaped by the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic and the social and healthcare reform, providing a unique overview of Finnish eldercare work.