Outdoor activity decreases as functional capacity declines, even though the desire to spend time outdoors remains. According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s (THL) Healthy Finland Survey (2024), 30.5% of women and 22.2% of men aged 75 and over report significant difficulties in walking a distance of half a kilometre.
According to a report by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2025), 35% of home care clients had not left their homes during the previous week. Among clients receiving 24-hour care, 75% had not been outdoors during the three-day assessment period.
A walking companion helps older adults get outdoors
To increase outdoor activity among older people, companionship is often needed. Many older adults are unable or hesitant to go outdoors due to mobility limitations, fear of falling, or loneliness. There are older people in need of assistance with outdoor activities both among those living independently at home and those receiving care services. The most important role of an outdoor companion is to encourage older people to go outside and to provide a sense of safety through their presence.
Through the Age Institute’s Outdoor Companion for an Older Person trainer programme, volunteer outdoor companions can be trained locally. The trainer programme provides a ready-made model and training materials for educating volunteers, as well as practical tips for coordinating volunteer activities. The programme is open to professionals in physical activity, rehabilitation, or elderly care, as well as individuals with experience in volunteer work and working with older people.
Learn more about the Age Institute’s training courses
A trained volunteer can spend time outdoors one-on-one with an older person living nearby, or participate in group walks, outdoor exercise sessions, or activity groups. Volunteers may work independently, support a professional, or be part of a team of volunteers. Becoming an outdoor companion is flexible and can fit around your own schedule. The activity is coordinated locally by various organizations, such as municipalities, associations, wellbeing services counties, or parishes.
Becoming an outdoor companion with a dog
A volunteer outdoor companion may also take part together with their own dog. The presence of a dog brings joy and can motivate older adults to spend time outdoors while also making it easier to connect and start conversations.
Any adult who knows their dog well and can anticipate its behaviour can become an outdoor companion with a dog. The dog must be friendly towards unfamiliar people and remain calm around mobility aids. Going outdoors with the dog should be easy enough that the owner can simultaneously engage in conversation with the older person and, when needed, assist them during the outing. The activity must not compromise the dog’s well-being or cause it stress.
The Age Institute’s Outdoor Companion for an Older Adult trainer training programme includes separate modules on outdoor companion activities involving dogs. Participants may choose to include these optional modules as part of their training programme.
Watch the video in which Raimo, Harri and Martti the dog from Äänekoski share their experiences of participating in the programme: Watch the video.