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There is a shortage of caregivers who support the lives of elderly people at home. For the elderly and their families to live with peace of mind, it has now become inevitable to seek the help of Non-Japanese caregivers.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has decided to revise the nursing care system as early as next fiscal year to increase the number of foreigners who provide home-visit care.
Currently, foreign nationals must be certified by the government as care workers to be caregivers, but few foreigners have this qualification. In the future, the ministry intends to make it possible for foreign nationals who do not have the qualification to engage in home-visit care under residence statuses such as “specified skilled worker.”
Home-visit care is a service provided by the nursing care insurance program in which a caregiver visits the home of a person who has difficulty taking care of themselves and assists them with bathing, eating and their other needs. In Japan, about 30% of the population is over 65 years old, and many elderly people live alone. Demand for home-visit care is on the rise.
On the other hand, the nursing care industry is facing a serious labor shortage. In particular, there are insufficient workers to provide home-visit care, which requires meticulous attention to detail. Fifteen companies have job openings for every one job seeker. It is probably realistic to stabilize care services by increasing the number of workers from overseas.
However, if the idea is simply to use international personnel to fill the vacancies left by Japanese caregivers, the system will not be able to continue. An environment must be created in which not only are care recipients able to receive at-home services free of worry, but also non-Japanese who provide nursing care services can work without worry.
Home-visit care, which involves visiting a recipient’s home and providing one-on-one care, requires communication in Japanese. Caregivers must understand the health and living conditions of those whom they are caring for, and must act flexibly such as by immediately contacting the person in charge if there is an emergency.
The ministry must provide an adequate training system to enable foreign personnel to acquire these skills.
As for the nursing care providers that employ at-home caregivers, they must establish counseling services for foreigners so that they can ask for advice immediately if they are not sure how to handle a situation. Those receiving care and their families should also receive a thorough explanation in advance that a non-Japanese person will be responsible for at-home care.
The wages for at-home caregivers are low in comparison with the heavy responsibilities and burdens they bear, and such poor treatment is accelerating the labor shortage. In addition, nursing care fees paid to providers, which are covered by the nursing care insurance program, were lowered this fiscal year. Many providers are small and midsize operations, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to get by.
To fundamentally solve the labor shortage, there must be a change in how caregivers are treated, and the industry must be made more attractive to both Japanese and non-Japanese workers.
The central government should examine what is lacking in home-visit care from multifaceted angles. It needs to examine the system, including the appropriate level of nursing care fees and insurance premiums.
