Family course for children and adolescents with inflammatory rheumatic disease
The family course is suitable for children
- who have recently been diagnosed with an inflammatory rheumatic disease
- who are under school age, in primary school or who are under 16 and in lower secondary school
- whose treatment, provided at specialist level, has started, your condition is under control and enables you to participate in the course.
Use the course search to look up when courses are arranged
Use the search term “reuma+perhekurssi”. Please note, the service is in Finnish and Swedish only.
Rehabilitation is arranged for the following target groups:
- children under school age and their families
- children starting school and children in lower secondary school and their families
- under 16 year olds in lower secondary school and their families.
Purpose of the course
The aim of the course is to provide comprehensive information and guidance for children and their families and to help them live a full and meaningful life despite the illness. Rehabilitation is also a way of strengthening the family’s resources and life management skills as well as a means of providing support for the family and its support networks. It also provides opportunities to meet other families who are in a similar situation.
Content of the course and implementation
The rehabilitation is implemented as group rehabilitation taking each child’s and family’s individual goal and need for rehabilitation into consideration.
The course includes group discussions and working in small groups, a variety of activities as well as individual interviews, meetings and discussions with rehabilitation experts.
The rehabilitation is arranged on the service provider’s premises. The course lasts 10 days and it is divided into two 5-day periods.
The child’s family accompanies the child throughout the rehabilitation. 1 to 2 adult close relatives and up to 2 siblings participate in the family course. If the number of siblings wishing to participate in the course exceeds this, Kela will contact the service provider in order to decide and agree on practical matters and make sure that there is sufficient room for all. The family can stay overnight at the place of the rehabilitation or travel there from home each day.
The service provider contacts the family before and after the rehabilitation and between the rehabilitation periods.
Course personnel
The course is implemented by the following experts:
- specialist in pediatric rheumatology
- physiotherapist
- psychologist
- social worker, Bachelor of Social Sciences or rehabilitation instructor
- registered nurse, public health nurse or rheumatology nurse.
Depending on the child's individual needs, other rehabilitation professionals and assisting personnel may also take part.