Japan Press Weekly

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2016 September 28 - October 4 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

167 local assemblies oppose Abe gov’t plan to impose burden on elderly who rent wheelchairs and beds

Among local assemblies in Japan, 24 prefectural assemblies and 143 municipal assemblies have adopted statements opposing the Abe government’s plan to force elderly people whose need to receive nursing-care services is relatively low to shoulder the cost of renting needed equipment which is now covered by the nursing-care insurance.

The Kyoto Prefectural Assembly’s statement points out that the government’s plan will adversely affect the health condition of the elderly and make it hard for them to continue their participation in social life. The Gifu Prefectural Assembly in its statement said that the government’s plan will end up leading to an increase in the government payment for nursing-care services and will further worsen labor shortages in the nursing-care sector.

Meanwhile, the number of signatures demanding the cancellation of the government’s plan has reached 220,000. The signature-collection campaign was conducted by a nationwide civil group working for increased availability of welfare products which consists of nursing-care service users and providers.

Under the nursing-care insurance law, the government pays insurance benefits to the elderly for their purchase or the use of rental services of 13 items such as wheelchairs and beds in order to support their independence in activities of daily living.

However, the government in April 2006 excluded elderly persons who do not need skilled nursing-care services but need supportive services from receiving the insurance benefits for renting wheelchairs and hospital beds. The government plan this time will eliminate “40-50% of the elderly using health product rental services” from applying for the insurance benefits, criticized the civil group.

Hasegawa Toshikazu, a steering member of the user-provider civil gorup said, “Under the government plan, aged people, who feel less need for nursing-care and can perform basic activities of daily living such as using the toilet with the help of mobility assistance products, may become bedridden.”

The Association of Care Goods Providers noted that in its survey of care-goods users, 70% of the respondents said that if they have to pay for renting wheelchairs and adjustable beds, they will stay at home more than now. This means that the quality of life of the elderly will be affected and that the government payment for medical and nursing-care services will increase, the organization pointed out. It also said that the imposition of rental cost burdens on the elderly will aggravate the shortage in nursing-care workers as 30% of the respondents said they will rely on skilled nursing-care workers if they cannot rent the needed equipment.