As the bed becomes tight due to the spread of the new coronavirus, there are cases where elderly people who need long-term care cannot be hospitalized even if they are infected.
For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has notified businesses nationwide to continue to provide services such as home-visit nursing care after thoroughly implementing infection control measures for elderly people who need nursing care services.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, elderly people infected with the new coronavirus are supposed to be hospitalized in principle, but in areas where beds are tight, some people are forced to take care of themselves at home.
For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has notified care providers nationwide to continue to provide services such as home-visit care to elderly people who live alone and whose families cannot come to care.
The notification asks you to shorten your visit time as much as possible, wash your hands and wear a mask thoroughly, and contact the local government immediately if you feel sick.
In addition, if you cannot visit, we will consult with a health center or care manager to secure an alternative office.
When providing home-visit care services to infected elderly people, in addition to the extra wages and allowances, the labor costs of the accompanying nurses can also be subsidized.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says, "I want the community to cooperate and provide the long-term care services necessary for the lives of the elderly while utilizing the national support measures."
Voices of confusion from the nursing care site
On the other hand, there are some confused voices from the home-visit care site.
Yukihiro Kiyomura, chairman of the Tokyo Chapter of the "Japan Home Helper Association" made with helpers, said, "Helpers who visit infected elderly people must refrain from visiting other users so as not to spread the infection. More helpers are needed. Although there is a sense of mission to protect the lives of the elderly, it is difficult to secure human resources in the face of chronic labor shortages, and there is a limit to how much it can be handled at business establishments. In addition to ensuring that helpers are protected from infection, we also want the national and local governments to provide detailed support, including how to deal with infections. "