Hoolitsus

Hoolitsus is an Estonian term meaning care or maintenance. It denotes actions taken to preserve the health, safety, functionality, or value of people, objects, or systems. The word comes from the verb hoolitsema, meaning to take care, with the noun-forming suffix -tus.

In everyday use, hoolitsus covers personal care and caregiving: tasks that support the well‑being of individuals, often within families, communities, or healthcare settings. In property and machinery contexts, it refers to preventive maintenance and servicing: regular inspections, cleaning, lubrication, adjustments, part replacement, and repairs aimed at preventing failures and extending life.

In information technology and digital systems, hoolitsus encompasses updates, backups, monitoring, and incident response to maintain reliability and security. Maintenance strategies can be time-based, occurring at fixed intervals, or condition-based, triggered by observed wear or performance indicators.

Terminology related to hoolitsus includes hooldus (maintenance) and hoolitsema (to care). In formal or technical language, it may appear in phrases such as hoolduse korraldus (maintenance planning) or hoolitsustegevus (maintenance activity).

See also: maintenance, caregiving, service, upkeep.