Huollettavaa

Huollettavaa is a Finnish term used in social welfare and health care language to denote a person who requires care or protection. It translates roughly as “the one to be cared for” and is used to identify someone who depends on others for assistance in daily life or legal protection.

Etymology and grammar: The word is formed from the verb huoltaa, “to care for.” The basic form huollettava means “the person to be cared for,” while huollettavaa is the partitive singular form used in sentences where the person is treated as the object of care or support.

Context and usage: In Finnish public care systems, huollettava is used in administrative and legal texts to designate an individual who receives care, support, or guardianship. The term often appears alongside related concepts such as huoltaja (guardian) and huoltajuus (guardianship). The status of the huollettava implies a duty of care on the part of caregivers, family members, or public authorities, and it is not restricted by age but by functional ability or dependence.

See also: Guardianship (huoltajuus), guardian (huoltaja), care recipient, social welfare.