As the infection of the new coronavirus spreads rapidly, even if elderly people who need long-term care become infected, they have no choice but to continue medical treatment at home, and in some cases the condition worsens without the support of those around them.

A woman in her 80s living in Chiba Prefecture had dementia and was cared for by her son in her 50s, who lived with her. rice field.



While my son was receiving medical treatment at home, he continued to take care of him, but his condition deteriorated and he was hospitalized.



A relatively mild woman is said to have been left alone at home.



A care manager who was contacted by a health center searched for a care helper, but could not find a place to visit the infected person.



The day after my son was hospitalized, I finally found a home-visit nursing station in a nearby city that provided medical care, and when the nurse visited, the woman was lying down in a state of consciousness. Says.



It is believed that the condition deteriorated sharply due to dehydration because he had not been able to get enough food and water for several days and could not turn on the air conditioner himself.



I requested emergency transportation, but I couldn't find a place to accept it for more than 3 hours, so the nurse visited me twice in the morning and evening to provide medical care such as intravenous drip, and continued to provide assistance such as meals and excretion. ..



As the woman's physical condition gradually improved and her home care period was over, she was able to use the short stay at the long-term care facility on the 26th.



The nurse who visited said, "Even if the symptoms of corona are mild, the elderly will suddenly deteriorate due to the secondary damage caused by not being able to receive long-term care. If the visit is delayed a little, life is dangerous. I think I was in a state. "



A man who is a grandchild of a woman and lives outside the prefecture said, "I rushed with two grandchildren living apart, but one of my grandchildren was infected and there was a limit to how much I could handle with my family. I was hospitalized many times at the health center. I talked to them, but they didn't accept me. It's difficult for an elderly person who needs nursing care to take care of himself at home, so I'd like you to put in place some kind of mechanism. "

Corresponding home-visit nursing station

The home-visit nursing station in Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture, undertook the visits to women.



In home-visit nursing, it is common for home-visit care helpers to handle people who need nursing care for medical care purposes, but this time, a helper was found to take care of visiting infected women. I didn't have it, so I took action.



When the director, Kyoko Yamato, visited her in protective clothing and arrived, the woman was said to have fallen on the futon in a state of consciousness.



The room is not air-conditioned and the mouth is dry, which is thought to be the effect of dehydration.



It is believed that the condition worsened because the lunch box was left in a damaged state in the immediate vicinity, and there was a bed sore on the waist, and it was not possible to receive long-term care such as food and excretion assistance.



It was judged to be life-threatening because the woman began to develop convulsive symptoms during the visit.



I requested an emergency transport, but because the oxygen saturation in the blood was relatively high and I was not eligible for hospitalization, I could not find a hospitalization destination even after 3 hours, so I gave an intravenous drip at home.



From the next day onward, Mr. Yamato visited twice daily for four days, not only nursing but also taking care of meals.



As the woman gradually recovered and her home recuperation period ended, she was able to use a short stay in a long-term care facility until her son was discharged on the 26th.



According to Mr. Yamato, labor shortages are becoming more serious in the field of long-term care and nursing, and users are complaining that the infection may spread through helpers and nurses. , It is said that there are few establishments that visit infected people.



This time as well, the staff other than Mr. Yamato did not respond, and after the response was completed, Mr. Yamato was confirmed to be negative by the test, but there were still cancellations from other users.



Kyoko Yamato, director of the Owada Visiting Nursing Station, said, "Currently, there are few establishments that can handle visits to infected people, but due to the spread of infection, the number of elderly people who are in a serious condition due to lack of long-term care like this time is increasing. I think it will come. I felt that it was necessary to urgently build a system to support the community in collaboration with neighboring business establishments. "

Expert "Development of a system that does not leave you alone"

Professor Yasuhiro Yuki of Shukutoku University, who is familiar with the issue of long-term care, said, "Infection of the elderly has decreased for a while due to the progress of vaccination, but there are a certain number of elderly people who have not been vaccinated due to various reasons, and the infection has occurred. The number is increasing again. In principle, elderly people who are liable to become severely ill when infected have been hospitalized, but with the rapid spread of infection, it seems that even elderly people who need long-term care cannot be hospitalized. The government needs to grasp the actual situation immediately. "



On top of that, "If an elderly person is treated at home alone, not only corona but also becoming a'nursing refugee'will cause secondary health damage. Hospitalization is the most desirable, but if it is difficult due to the tightness of the bed. There is an urgent need to put in place a system that will not let you be alone, such as watching over at accommodation. "