  Elderly people cannot pay more for nursing homes than the amount of pension benefit they receive -- Akahata editorial, December 22 (Excerpts)A major increase in user fees for using nursing care facilities is proposed in the Finance Ministry's draft national budget for FY 2005. If they are raised from October 2005 as planned, nursing care facility users will be forced to shoulder an extra 42 billion yen (about 400 million dollars) in FY 2005. An extra 30,000 yen a month At present, about 700,000 people use long-term nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, or facilities that provide nursing care and medical treatment at the same time. The government plans to introduce a new system that will collect the full amount of fees for services, including meals and occupancy of rooms, in addition to the 10 percent share of costs for users with the nursing care insurance. A trial calculation shows that prices will be 87,000 yen for a shared room and 134,000 yen for a single room. Elderly people who paid premiums into national pension for 40 years without a break receive 66,000 yen as a pension a month. How can they pay for the nursing care services that cost more than what they receive in pension benefits? The need is to maintain the quality of services in order to ensure that all elderly persons can live decent lives by removing the upper limits on amounts permissible for the use of nursing care services for those who need nursing care. It's also the government's task to improve infrastructure for better home care services. During the four and half years since the nursing care insurance system was introduced, the number of people on the waiting list for long-term nursing homes has doubled in many places. At present more than 320,000 are on the waiting lists, almost the same number as the total capacity of long-term nursing homes in Japan today. This number has been brought to light for the first time as a result of a Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers Group survey. The government must examine the situation and improve infrastructure according to need, instead of restraining such efforts. For a better nursing care system A review of the nursing care insurance system is expected next year, and the government intends to stop insurance payments for home care for elderly persons in need of a minimal degree of care. The need now is not to curb nursing care services but to improve support for people in need of home care by making day care or short stay services more accessible. (end) |