According to NHK's interview, there are at least 18,000 people with disabilities nationwide who wish to enter and are on standby for admission facilities such as those with intellectual disabilities.
It is believed that the background is the spread of so-called "elderly care" in which elderly parents care for children with disabilities, and parents are worried about the future.
The country has not investigated the waiters, and experts point out that "the country should have a firm grasp of the current situation and take necessary measures."
Regarding the living bases of persons with disabilities, the national government is encouraging the development of group homes where several people can live together so that they can live in the areas they desire. I am.
However, when NHK interviewed prefectures nationwide, it was found that there were a total of 18,640 people with disabilities waiting to enter the facility in at least 27 prefectures as of last year. I did.
Of these, in 13 prefectures such as Tokyo, Saitama, Hiroshima, and Miyagi, the number of people waiting has tended to increase year by year, and in some prefectures, the number of people with intellectual disabilities has doubled in the last 10 years.
When asked the main reasons for the increasing number of people waiting, 6 prefectures answered "the aging of parents who care for children with disabilities at home", followed by "the population of people with disabilities". "Increase in" was one prefecture.
Other than that, "I don't know because I haven't investigated it."
The case where an elderly parent cares for a child with a disability is called "elderly disability care", and according to groups and specialists created by parents of the disabled, advances in medical care have increased the average life expectancy of the disabled. It seems that it is spreading along with things like that, and many parents want to enter their children in case they cannot take care of themselves in the future.
On the other hand, 20 prefectures do not know the number of waiting people, and the national government has not conducted a survey, so the actual situation seems to be even higher.
Regarding this situation, Professor Kosuke Okabe of Waseda University, who is familiar with the policies of persons with disabilities, said, "It is thought that there are increasing cases where parents who are worried about the future want to have their children admitted. Since there are few people, many people may be choosing facilities. The national government should first grasp the current situation of the waiting people and then take necessary measures so that each person can live the desired life. " I am.
People with severe intellectual disabilities are mainly waiting for vacancy
According to the prefectures that know the number of people waiting, it is mainly people with severe intellectual disabilities who want to enter the facility and are waiting for a vacancy.
It is said that the average life expectancy of persons with disabilities is increasing due to advances in medical care, and according to a national survey, the population of people with intellectual disabilities who are 40 years of age or older at home is estimated to be from 75,000 in 2000 to 2016. The number of people in Japan is 382,000, which is more than five times higher.
In a 2016 national survey, 74% of people with intellectual disabilities under the age of 65 at home lived with their parents.
There are no statistics showing the number of households for "elderly care", but groups and specialists made up of parents of persons with disabilities gradually increase the number of households for "elderly care" based on these survey results, and as a result, the number of households for "elderly care" gradually increases. He points out that there may be a series of cases where he wants to enter.
Of the prefectures nationwide, the number of people waiting was the highest in Hiroshima prefecture in the 16 prefectures that are summarized by the total number of people, and in Saitama prefecture in the 11 prefectures that are summarized by the actual number of people. There are 1594 people.
Of these, in Saitama Prefecture, the number of people waiting has increased 1.6 times in the last 10 years, and the number of people with intellectual disabilities has doubled, and the number of parents in their 70s and above has increased.
A person in charge of the prefecture said, "In recent years, the population of people with disabilities has increased and the aging of parents has progressed more than ever, and the anxiety of" elderly care "has increased. You have to look for it, and it may be far from the original purpose of living in the area you want. "
Parents who feel the limit of their physical strength "If I fall down, this child will ..."
A mother in her 70s, who is caring for her daughter with severe intellectual disabilities at home alone, feels limited in physical strength but is worried because she cannot find a facility where she can enter.
Saeko Matsue (73) from Yao City, Osaka, lives with her daughter Tomomi (45), who has severe intellectual disabilities and also has disabilities in her legs.
Tomomi has the highest "disability support category", which indicates the degree of support required, and she cannot talk, has to read emotions with facial expressions and gestures, and has general daily life. Assistance is indispensable.
She uses day services during the day, but Matsue takes care of her alone at her home during other hours.
When she eats, she brings rice to her mouth, cuts side dishes into easy-to-eat pieces, and stabs them one by one with a fork.
Even if you get burned, you can't tell it in words, so Mr. Matsue always checks the temperature with his tongue before eating the cut side dishes.
Matsue also assists her in bathing and changing clothes, but depending on her physical condition and mood, she may be refused, and it is said that her bedtime is often past 2 am. ..
The lives of these two people have been going on for five years before their husband died of illness, but in addition to taking medicine every day due to high blood pressure etc., by the time he turned 70, he had a stress fracture in his right knee and now It means that he regularly visits the hospital and gives painkiller injections.
Matsue, who is getting older and feels the limits of her physical strength, wants to live with her Tomomi for a long time, but her daughter was about three years ago because of her anxiety about the future. I am determined to find a place where I can live with peace of mind.
Mr. Matsue thought that it would be difficult to live in a group home where a small number of people live together because of severe disabilities and epilepsy.
When she searched for a facility in Yao City, where her home is located, and the surrounding municipalities, where nurses are stationed during the day and there are multiple staff members at night, she is said to have found five.
However, I have visited many times and made inquiries by phone, but all of them are full and I have no idea that I can enter.
On the 3rd of last month, I contacted a facility about 30 minutes by car from my house, but with about 40 people already waiting, the staff told me that I do not know when to enter. ..
Mr. Matsue said, "I have been taking care of my child because I am my child, but recently I think every night,'What will happen to this child if I fall down?'. I want to live with my daughter as it is. However, after the age of 70, I can't continue to live like I am now. The more I think about it, the more anxious I am, but now I have to wait for the facility to become available. "
There is almost no vacancy in the capacity of admission facilities in Saitama Prefecture
There are many waiting people at the entrance facilities in Saitama prefecture where people with severe intellectual disabilities live, and the situation continues to be almost unacceptable.
The disability support facility "Taiyo no Sato" in Shiraoka City, Saitama Prefecture, accepts about 60 people from all over the prefecture, most of whom are severely intellectually disabled.
Approximately 20 staff members, including 2 nurses, are working at the facility during the day, and 6 people are stationed at night to take care of residents 24 hours a day.
It is said that there is almost no vacancy in the capacity because many people with severe intellectual disabilities reach the end of their lives at the facility.
However, the number of people who want to enter and wait is gradually increasing, and according to the facility, the list of people waiting every three months from the prefecture is 161 people as of February. That is.
On the other hand, at that time, there were only two people available, and most people could not accept it.
In addition to this, parents with disabilities, including those outside the prefecture, receive calls every week requesting admission, and recently, the number of inquiries from parents in their 70s and 80s is the highest.
Last fall, a mother in her 80s who said she was caring for her son called her and said, "I don't know when it will be accepted," and her mother looked exhausted and said, "It's over. I want to do it. "
We decided that the facility was urgent, but we couldn't accept it, so we contacted the local government in the prefecture where the parents and children live, and sent the people involved in the facility to their homes to check the mother's condition.
Yasuyoshi Sonobe, the director of "Taiyo no Sato," said, "In many cases, it is necessary to accept it immediately considering the age of the parents, so I would like to say," Please enter. " The current situation is that it is very unacceptable, and I am full of regrets. "
Transition to community life Development of necessary group homes
On the other hand, the national government has stated that it should gradually reduce the number of residents, saying that the facilities should be able to live in the areas they desire.
According to the basic guidelines based on the Comprehensive Support Law for Persons with Disabilities enacted in 2012, the national government needs to establish a system to shift from institutional facilities to living in the community in order to support the independence of persons with disabilities. ..
Group homes are one of the pillars.
Group homes utilize ordinary houses and apartments, and several people with disabilities live together.
Unlike the entrance facility, the placement of nurses is not obligatory, and each spends time in an environment close to home.
The basic guidelines require local governments to develop regional bases such as this group home, while reducing the number of residents for facilities, and set specific numerical targets every three years.
As a result, as of March last year, the total number of residents nationwide was more than 120,000, a decrease of about 4,500 from five years ago.
In contrast, the total number of residents in group homes is more than 140,000, an increase of about 41,000 over the past five years.
However, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, group homes are often targeted at people with relatively mild disabilities, and among residents nationwide, 10% of those in "Category 6" who have the highest degree of support required. It means that it is less than.
In addition, in a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare last year on local governments nationwide, 43% of the 997 municipalities that responded said that "group homes for people with severe intellectual disabilities are particularly lacking." The issue is that the maintenance is not sufficiently advanced.
Background of shortage of group homes Difficulty in securing funds and manpower
It has also become clear that the lack of group homes for people with severe disabilities is due to the difficulty in securing funds and manpower.
The social welfare corporation "Hiwadakai" in Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture, operates a total of 19 group homes in the prefecture using used housing, and is actively accepting people with severe disabilities.
In the case of group homes, unlike admission facilities, the placement of nurses is not obligatory, and night shift staff is not required in principle.
However, in order for people with severe disabilities to live, it is necessary to make the room barrier-free and install sprinklers, and it is said that it costs about 15 million yen per house.
In addition, since some residents of this corporation require 24-hour care, we have more staff and part-time staff, including night shifts, than required by law.
On the other hand, the source of income is the national disability welfare service fee and monthly usage fee of about 50,000 yen, but the fee is limited and the initial cost is high, so the operation is difficult, and about 100 staff members The hourly wage is around 1000 yen, which is close to the prefecture's minimum wage.
Under these circumstances, even if we submit a job, there are no applications for the younger generation, and 70% of the staff are elderly people, including those in their 80s.
In many cases, elderly staff are responsible for night shifts, and at a group home in Hidaka City, where six people with severe disabilities live, a 72-year-old woman talks to residents who cannot sleep and feeds them for breakfast. rice field.
Due to the heavy burden on older staff, they may suddenly get sick or quit, and last year they hired 12 new employees, while 10 quit.
Even so, in December last year, he opened a new group home with a capacity of 7 people to accept people with disabilities who want to move in, but the staff suddenly quit and could not accept the planned number of people. That is.
Masayuki Hagiwara, the chairman of the social welfare corporation "Hiwadakai", said, "We manage to manage it with the support of elderly staff, but when people with severe disabilities live, it costs a lot to secure the quality of life. Unless it is reflected in the national reward, the operation will be difficult and the necessary human resources will not be gathered. We would like to accept as much as possible in our group home while there are people waiting for the vacancy of the entrance facility. However, the reality is that it is difficult in reality. "
Expert "Measures such as securing financial resources for staffing of group homes"
Professor Kosuke Okabe of Waseda University, who is familiar with the policies of people with disabilities, said, "The people with disabilities who have managed to live with their parents are older parents. The situation is becoming more difficult due to the change in the situation. Under these circumstances, it is thought that there are increasing cases where parents want to admit their children due to their own health concerns and concerns about the future. Not limited to this, many people are choosing facilities because there are few saucers in the area. " Regarding the home, it is necessary to take measures such as securing financial resources so that staff can be fully allocated. "
In addition, the professor said, "Group homes alone are not enough to reduce the number of people waiting and to truly move from admission facilities to the community. In Europe and the United States, people with severe disabilities have signed contracts with helpers themselves. There is also active support called "Personal Assistance," in which people live alone with 24-hour assistance. The country should provide a variety of options for the region so that each can realize the life they desire. " I was talking.
Number of people waiting for admission facilities Breakdown of 27 prefectures (2021)
* The survey dates are summarized by the total number of people
different for each municipality . 16 prefectures
Hiroshima: 1664 people Okayama: 1152 people Kagoshima: 1137 people Yamaguchi: 872 people Kumamoto: 764 people Miyagi: 626 people Tottori: 588 people Oita: 469 people Mie: 466 Niigata: 413 Nagasaki: 371 Hyogo: 332 Shimane: 331 Fukui: 176 Wakayama: 106 Kagawa: 69
11 prefectures
Saitama: 1594 Tokyo: 1430 Shizuoka: 1200 People Osaka: 1064 people Ehime: 1050 people Ibaraki: 888 people Gunma: 524 people Chiba: 482 people Nagano: 309 people Tokushima: 294 people Saga: 269 people
* Osaka surveys about half of the facilities in the
prefecture * Gifu prefecture is 3 years Aggregated by each
* Aggregated for 2019 only in Kochi Prefecture No data for last year