In principle, the national government has taken measures to hospitalize elderly people when they are infected with the new coronavirus, but it has been pointed out that hospitalization may lead to deterioration of physical function and make it difficult to return to normal life. I am.
Members of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's expert meeting have put together a proposal to proceed with discussions so that patients can choose a medical treatment place that suits their condition and wishes, such as their homes and facilities for the elderly.
The proposals were compiled by members of the expert meeting and representatives of academic societies involved in geriatric medicine.
As a general rule, the national government takes measures to treat elderly people infected with the new corona by hospitalization, but in the proposal, elderly people who have maintained a certain degree of independence are in a state before they need long-term care as a result of hospitalization. It is said that it may be difficult to return to the original life even after being discharged from the hospital, such as becoming ill or having weakened physical function.
For this reason, it should be noted that while the proposed proposal promotes the securing of beds for elderly people who need to be hospitalized so that they can respond more quickly, it has been confirmed that the Omicron strain has a lower risk of aggravation than the Delta strain. However, he pointed out that hospitalization should avoid degrading the quality of life.
On top of that, in order to realize medical care and care according to the patient's condition and wishes, it is possible to select a medical treatment place such as a home or a facility for the elderly, and even when hospitalized in a medical institution, isolation is being performed. It is said that it will be rehabilitated from the beginning, and that it will actively conduct visits and attendants necessary for the care of the person, and will proceed with discussions in preparation for the re-spread of the infection.
The proposal is expected to be presented at an expert meeting on the 6th.