Study of the Geriatric Health Care Facility in Japan

일본의 노인보건시설에 대한 연구

The objective of the present study is to review of the system, type of care and utility of the Geriatric Health Care Facility(GHCF) in Japan. Geriatric Health Care Facilities in Japan were started with subsidies from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1987 to encourage return of the elderly from hospitals to their homes rather than other destinations such as nursing homes or hospitals. Concerning to the type of care, there is the difference between GHCF and other geriatric care facilities(i.e., geriatric hospital and nursing home). GHCF provides both medical and nursing care. The following services are available for the GHCF's user's. As institutional care services, rehabilitation training, ADL exercise, nursing care and management of medicine, are available. For the out-patients, supplying meals, taking a bath, and rehabilitation services, are also available. The medical treatment fee at the facilities is about US $ 1,500 per month. Expenses for meals, daily necessities, shall be borne by the recipient, Those expenses are about US $ 360 per month. In anticipation of the coming of the aging society, the Goverment must be formulated consecutively several vital policies of measures, especially GHCF, for the elderly in the future few years.