Home Far from Homeland : Developing an Operating Model for Finnish-Speaking Assisted Living Services in Torrevieja

Abstract

This thesis presents a preliminary operational model for Finnish-speaking assisted living services designed to meet the unique needs of the Finnish expatriate community in Torrevieja, Spain. As the population of Finnish retirees in the region grows, there is an increasing demand for culturally and linguistically tailored services. The focus of this thesis is on creating a framework addressing essential aspects such as service design, cultural integration, and legislative alignment, without delving into full implementation details.

The project was conducted in collaboration with Suomi-Seura Costa Blanca, an organization supporting the Finnish community in the Costa Blanca region. Their input provided valuable insights into the challenges and preferences of Finnish seniors, grounding the proposed model in practical, real-world experiences. Instead of collecting new data, the thesis draws its main background from observations and insights gained from a 2023 internship in Torrevieja.

The theoretical framework of this thesis lays the groundwork for the proposed operational model, focusing on four main areas: previous studies related to Finnish expatriates, an analysis of their linguistic needs and cultural challenges while navigating aging abroad, the factors that make Torrevieja an attractive retirement destination, and the legislative framework governing expatriate services in Spain. The Service Gap Model is then applied to bridge the divide between the existing service landscape and the expectations of Finnish retirees. Additionally, a SWOT analysis highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing such services in the region, providing a comprehensive overview of the feasibility and potential impact of the proposed model.