In Finland the whole public social and healthcare sector is going to change, it’s “Sote-reform”, they say. Lots of time and money has been used for preparations and planning, but the meaning for an individual citizen is unknown for many. There are several positive targets, however. The focus will be on Finnish citizens as social and healthcare sector customers. This means more freedom to choose one’s services, that complement the individual needs better. Services with better timing, individual focus and more holistic aspect are more effective and create healthier customers
When the starting point is the individual, it’s good to recognize that there are no standard solutions for individual wellbeing and health. There are dozens of keys, but the lock is different in every person. The better condition of an individual is affected by life situation, the experienced need for change, the important and meaningful things (values), level of motivation and eventually, genes. From this baseline, it’s no wonder that the preventive healthcare has been very minimalistic until these days. It’s been easier to treat illness and cause expensive outcomes.
There’s also a way by duckboards
How would you feel, if a familiar nurse, psychologist or physiotherapist would be more like a coach in your daily life? If you don’t have this kind of a need, there are many, who are struggling with change need, limitations, diseases and who would be able to help themselves much better with coach support. This would have huge impact on the experienced quality of life. Often the risk groups are easy to recognize, but from there it’s still a long way to preventive and coaching based intervention. Small daily micro decisions in activity, nutrition, sleep or social relations create the magical and simple change, where sustained and big holistic changes are achieved. These small things would help to prevent even 80 % of life style based diseases.
Often people benefit from another person’s support in life change. On-line coaching is a cost effective and individual way to support people, kind of a virtual form of duckboards. Already now on-line coaching has been carried out in the coaching processes and courses of rehabilitation, associations, occupational health and workplace wellness providers. In public sector the possibilities are limitless. Whether it’s about the shadow caused by cancer, work related stress, aging, recovery from hip operation, diabetes, over weight or social exclusion, these all relate to a turning point of life. This brings along the need to adjust or to change thinking and habits, based on one’s own life situation and values.
The individual insight changes the direction
Even though on-line coaching utilizes technology, it’s essential to see the technology as just a tool for human to human communication. The best results can be achieved by professional and high quality on-line coaching, which is part of the coahee’s daily life, awakens the inner motivation and opens up new thought models. The knowledge and measurable data are spices, but combining the knowledge to internalization and small micro changes makes a difference. The new way of professional work, coaching, is not easily implemented. Still the benefits both for the public social and healthcare professionals and their customers are undisputed. When the professionals move their way of working towards more coaching direction, it means also a change of job description. This requires visions, training, concrete steps and blessing from the management – and also forerunner professionals who have the spark for coaching.
One of the most persistent coaches of the fiction world might be Yoda from Star Wars. The small, and powerful yedi trainer filled with wisdom, followed his calling for over 800 years, without minding the long distances between stars. He had a crucial role in many turning changes. The social and healthcare sector needs professionals with a pinch of Yoda, who says in Star Wars: “May the force be with you”. Maybe we as citizens could say “Force walk with me”. Soon this force can be a public sector professional, who is present in the ordinary days of life for us or our close ones, when it’s needed the most – one step ahead in a preventive way and even with joy.
