Experiences of Iiwari Care in Elderly Care Homes Across Finland

We interviewed nurses, night shift nurses, and management teams from multiple care homes across Finland. Our goal was to hear directly from the users:

What was life like before Iiwari Care – and what changed after its introduction?

Although the units differed in size, structure, and needs, one theme was repeated throughout the interviews:

Iiwari Care eases the everyday work of nurses, creates a calmer care home environment, and significantly improves safety for both residents and staff.

This summary compiles their experiences.

Before Iiwari Care: Old Systems Caused Workload, Stress, and Safety Risks

Many care homes described previous systems as unreliable, slow, or even obstructive in day-to-day work.

At the Kotipirtti service home, the previous solution was highly unreliable: the voice connection didn’t work, exit alarms failed to trigger, and maintenance couldn’t resolve persistent issues. Nurse Henna Mäkitalo described a serious incident:

“A resident went outside in freezing winter weather without any exit alarm going off.”

At Treili units, getting help was uncertain – if a colleague didn’t hear someone calling, assistance was delayed. They even considered purchasing walkie-talkies.

At Nurmikoti, the issues were particularly critical:

• wristbands had to be removed for charging for 2–3 hours, leaving residents without any call-for-help option
• wristbands were often forgotten on chargers
• location accuracy was poor (approx. 10 m)

CEO Anita Mutila summarized:

“The wristband had to be removed for 2–3 hours to charge, and during that time the resident had no possibility to call for help.”

She also highlighted a problem familiar to many care homes but rarely mentioned explicitly:

“If a resident pressed the call button repeatedly, all other alerts were blocked. This was a major issue.”

A Calmer Environment: The Constant Alarm Noise Disappeared

In many units, the previous system created psychological stress due to loud, repeating alarms.

Attendo Jooseppi manager Salla Kalliomäki explained:

“The alarms were heard everywhere in the care home, which was mentally exhausting. Staff workload has decreased tremendously.”

Nurses at Ilonpisara echoed the same:

“The entire unit feels calmer now that the continuous alarm noise is gone.”

At Kotipirtti, the improved situation awareness and functioning voice connection added to the sense of calm:

“Since alerts go to all nurses and the voice connection works, unnecessary running and uncertainty have decreased.”

Better Situational Awareness and Less Unnecessary Movement

Every interviewed unit highlighted the same benefit: knowing who needs help and where speeds up work and reduces unnecessary steps.

Treili CEO Leena Lehtonen:

“For nurses, the most valuable thing is knowing where people are. Care homes are often labyrinth-like, and knowing colleagues’ locations is important.”

This is especially valuable during night shifts. Attendo’s Kalliomäki noted:

“The night nurse can always see what’s happening on the other side of the building, even when working far away.”

Ilonpisara nurses:

“No time is wasted searching for residents – their location is visible in the app.”

At Kotipirtti, the map view helps assess, for example at night, whether a resident is in bed. Tracking keys and staff locations also speeds up daily operations.

Improved Staff Safety: The Additional Help Request Is a Game-Changer

The additional help feature received universal praise. It speeds up assistance dramatically, especially during lifts and emergencies.

Treili team leader Jenna Nytorp:

“The biggest change is that a nurse gets help immediately when needed.”

Finnish Christian Nursing Homes Ltd., Service Home Lähde Rovaniemi manager Tytti Petäjäjärvi:

“Previously, we had to shout for help. Now we press a button and assistance arrives straight to the right place.”

Attendo Jooseppi nurses shared:

“We no longer need to wander the hallways looking for a colleague.”

“If a resident falls or has a medical emergency, I can hold onto them and still call for help.”

Nurmikoti added a crucial benefit: alerts are no longer blocked by repeated button presses.

CEO Anita Mutila:

“In our old system, multiple consecutive presses blocked other alerts. Iiwari Care eliminates this entirely – all alerts go through.”

Resident Safety Improves Significantly

Reliable exit detection is one of the most valued improvements. Kotipirtti service manager Henna Mahlamäki explained:

“We greatly appreciate that the system responds reliably to exits.”

At Nurmikoti:

“Iiwari Care has prevented many dangerous situations. We get an alert immediately when a resident approaches the outdoor exit.”

At Attendo Jooseppi, Iiwari Care has clearly improved everyday operations. Kalliomäki noted:

“Iiwari Care improves the quality of care because we can respond to alerts in real time.”

At Treili, safety is especially crucial in situations where residents must not be left alone, such as sauna facilities. Nytorp said:

“If a resident has a medical episode in the sauna, we can’t leave them to seek help. Now we can ensure their safety while calling for assistance.”

Attendo Jooseppi nurses emphasized the importance of night-time safety:

“It’s valuable to see when residents move at night. An upcoming improvement we requested is a night-time alert when a resident leaves their room.”

Ease of Use: A System That Supports Care Work

All units described Iiwari Care as easy to use.

Nurses particularly appreciated:

• automatic acknowledgment of alerts via presence
• clear alarm sounds
• operating without having to handle a phone during care situations (improves hygiene and response time)
• quick adoption by new staff

Nurmikoti’s CEO highlighted the value of flexible teamwork:

“Any nurse can acknowledge an alert, not only the one whose phone received it. This creates seamless cooperation.”

Attendo’s Kalliomäki summarized:

“Ease of use is essential for nurses. The system is extremely easy – no separate training is really needed.”

Data Brings Transparency and Supports Management – Also in Regulatory Oversight

Many managers emphasized the value of data. At Kotipirtti, data helps allocate resources and monitor quality. It’s also invaluable when responding to questions from family members.

Treili CEO Leena Lehtonen:

“Iiwari Care provides insight into how often each resident is visited. This allows us to allocate resources fairly and support staff wellbeing.”

Nurmikoti’s Anita Mutila added a unique perspective:

• regulatory authorities (PirHa) require accurate documentation of staff visits
• Iiwari enabled compliance without hiring additional personnel

“We can show with data how well the situation can be managed with Iiwari Care. Therefore, we didn’t need to hire another employee.”

Treili’s Merja Ristolainen noted that fast help for residents and staff is the top priority – and that in the future, data will support assessments of care needs and workload.

Users Do Not Want to Return to the Old System

This was repeated across every unit. Every interviewed nurse and manager said the same:

“We do not want to go back to life before Iiwari Care.”

Service Home Lähde manager Petäjäjärvi:

“Iiwari Care is the best system so far. Others feel clumsy.”

Treili’s Ristolainen:

“We haven’t seen any system comparable to Iiwari. This is the most advanced.”

At Nurmikoti:

“I’d have to ask the nurses, but I’m quite sure we would hear complaints – the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Treili’s team leader Nytorp shared that she has recommended Iiwari Care to colleagues in other units, praising ease of use and Iiwari’s exceptional responsiveness to user feedback:

“Nurses’ wishes are truly listened to, and system changes happen quickly. That is rare.”

What Did We Learn?

Based on the interviews, Iiwari Care transforms care work in three concrete ways:

1. Improves safety

• for both residents and nurses
• fast response, alerts no longer block each other
• exit alarms work reliably

2. Reduces staff workload

• less alarm noise
• fewer unnecessary steps and less time spent searching for residents
• convenient alert acknowledgment without using a phone

3. Enhances efficiency and transparency

• data supports management, resource allocation, and regulatory reporting
• legal protection improves at all levels

For these reasons, many nurses and managers said plainly:

“This is the system of the future.”

Interviewed Units and Individuals

Attendo Jooseppi (Riihimäki)

• Salla Kalliomäki, Manager
• Sini Koskenniemi, Nurse
• Catherine Medel, Nurse
• Saana Rinne, Nurse
• Amanda Riikonen, Night Nurse

Treili Oy (multiple units, Tampere region)

• Leena Lehtonen, CEO
• Merja Ristolainen, Unit Manager (OttoFanny)
• Jenna Nytorp, Team Leader

Finnish Christian Nursing Homes Ltd., Service Home Lähde Rovaniemi

• Tytti Petäjäjärvi, Manager
• Jenna Hurme, Nurse

Hoivakoti Ilonpisara (Ostrobothnia)

• Several nurses (comments anonymous)

Palvelutalo Kotipirtti (Tampere)

• Henna Mahlamäki, Service Manager
• Henna Mäkitalo, Nurse

Nurmikoti

• Anita Mutila, CEO