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RDP project database

Dental Care Services Provided at Home

Summary

A rural entrepreneur from northern Finland has been awarded EAFRD support to help establish her new commercial healthcare business, highlighting the potential for using mobile approaches to service delivery in industries such as dentistry.

Background

Quality of life is an important concept for EU citizens and rural quality of life is influenced by many different factors. Access to essential services is one of these factors and, whilst the increase in availability of e-services in rural areas is helping to ensure more equitable delivery for some services, these cannot replace other basic services such as a healthcare system.

Objective

To provide health care assistance in the field of dental care to elderly people in rural areas via a mobile dental care unit. Only a relatively small amount of RDP funding was provided for the project, but this made a big difference in helping Anne Ukkola decide to launch her full-time mobile business. Having previously worked as a teacher, offering dental care support on a part-time basis, she was able to become a self-employed entrepreneur.

Main activities

Providing oral hygiene treatment to patients who are no longer able to keep their teeth clean themselves, or for whom it is difficult to travel to dental health clinics. Teeth-cleaning, tartar or stain removal from both teeth and dentures are among her most widely-used services.Clients are the lederly, disabled usually receiving treatment in both public and private clinices. She also treats young people. Two suitcases of equipment are all she carries with her to run her micro-business.

Results & Benefits

Ms Ukkola’s personal investment in her career path has paid off, as she now has a busy diary of appointments for her ‘Suukko’ oral hygiene service. Secured with support from the JOMMA Leader LAG, RDP funds received by Ms Ukkola were used to purchase portable dental care equipment, allowing her to run a fully functional oral hygiene service.

Lessons learnt

The oral health of the elderly is becoming a major challenge as more and more people are able to keep their own teeth as they age. Other business initiatives can learn from this as an example of meeting the demand for healthcare services in rural areas. The is particularly important for isolated rural areas where diminishing population levels make sustaining the financial viability of service delivery often difficult.

Project location and other information

Muhos, Northern Ostrobothnia

Region

Pohjois-Pohjanmaa

RDP Territory

Mainland

Total project cost (€)

12 179

EAFRD contribution (€)

1 370

National contribution (€)

1 066

Private contribution (€)

9 135

Contact name

Anne Ukkola

Languages for contact

Finnish

At a glance

Country

Finland

Final beneficiary type

Non-farm or non-forest entreprises, Other

Budget range

< €20 000

Start date:

01/08/2008

End Date:

31/08/2010

Theme / Measure:

• Rural Quality of Life & Economic Diversification
• Rural economic diversification
• 312. Support for business creation and development

Keywords:

Healthcare, Rural society, Training, Employment

Last update

15/02/2012