Hoiva

Hoiva is a Finnish noun that denotes care, caregiving, or nurturance. It refers to the act and process of looking after someone who needs assistance due to age, illness, disability, or other factors, and it encompasses both practical support and emotional well-being. In everyday language, hoiva can describe informal care provided by family members as well as formal care delivered by professional caregivers, nurses, and social workers.

In the context of Finland’s health and social care system, hoiva is a central concept. It covers services such as home care (kotihoito), residential care facilities (hoivakodit), day care centers, and support for carers. Policy discussions around hoiva focus on enabling people to live as independently as possible while receiving appropriate assistance, and on balancing informal family care with formal public and private services.

Etymology and related terms: Hoiva derives from the verb hoivata, meaning to care for or look after. It is related to terms such as huolenpito (attentive care, nursing) and hoivatyö (care work), which appear across social and healthcare discourse in Finnish.

Overall, hoiva describes both the moral practice of caring for others and the systemic services that support caregiving in Finnish society. Related topics include elder care, child care, home care, and welfare state policy.