The system of sister home was dissolved half a century ago

The activities of Helsinki Deaconess Institute were originally based on a model of a sister home created by the German pastor Theodor Fliedner. This system was used in Finland over 90 years. It was dissolved in 1959. The dismantling of the system was a major reform considering the Institute's survival.

According to the model, the sisters formed a community and the sister home was their joint home. They did not receive wages for their work, only pocket money. Instead, the Institution took care of all their needs until the end of their lives.

In the late 1930s the system was subjected to thorough criticism. Sister Aino Miettinen openly criticized this model at a meeting of the Nordic deaconess institutions in Helsinki. Miettinen's ideas were ahead of their time, and only much later did the Deaconess Institute deal with the issues of disadvantages Miettinen brought about.

The sisters began to receive a regular monthly salary, they had a working time stipulated under law, and pension coverage. The Diaconess Institute's retirement rule was completed in 1960 and sisters working for the congregations of the Church were also covered by the wage and pension laws.