Research on the Establishment of a Long-Term Care System for the Elderly with Alzheimer’s Disease Under the Background of Long-Term Care Insurance: A Literature Review

With the aging of the country’s population structure,the problem of social pensions is becoming more and more serious.As for the issue of social pension,the elderly with Alzheimer’s disease are a special group,and the issue of care services for these elderly has attracted widespread attention from society.However,judging from the current level of social security provided to the elderly with dementia in the country,there is a serious imbalance between supply and demand.Therefore,this problem needs to be solved urgently and is of great significance for further improving the country’s social pension security system.Routine care is limited to hospitals and mainly focuses on the patient’s condition.Patients fail to receive comprehensive care services and the effect is not ideal.Therefore,in order to improve patients’cognitive function and quality of life,and learn from international experience,a“community-institution-home”three-dimensional linkage care model based on long-term care insurance can be established.The application of this model can effectively solve and further improve the country’s elderly care and social security system.

Performance of Rural Municipalities After the 2015 Reformation of Long-Term Care Insurance in Japan

Worldwide,welfare is trending from a welfare state model to social participation to ensure the sustainability of health care systems.Japan,where the aging rate will reach 40%by 2060,reformed public Long-Term Care Insurance(LTCI)on a large scale in 2015 and started the Comprehensive Service project(CS project),which emphasizes the prevention of long-term care through social participation in the community.Through this project,communities work to develop prevention efforts revolving around the community salon/caféand mutual support,including all daily tasks that previously were the purview of family members.Each municipality has an obligation to promote a CS project through new community development initiatives among community members.The purpose of this study is to investigate the CS projects performed by rural municipalities and to explore the important factors for their success.The authors used a case study methodology and constant comprehensive methodology for analyzing interview data to pull out the elements of successful initiatives.The study shows that the following factors influence success:recognition of demographic risk,recognition of the ineffectiveness of LTCI services,developing a passionate philosophy and strategy as a municipality,developing community members’initiative,and having many assets and full participation in the community.These factors imply that community development is a critical part of any successful CS project.

Influence Factors of Mobility-Related Activities of Daily Living in Chronic Dialysis Patients Needing Long-Term Care: Analysis of Long-Term Care Eligibility Assessment Survey Data

Background: In the near future in Japan, chronic dialysis patients will likely face a situation where the aging and the lengthening of hemodialysis treatment periods will adversely affect the mobility-related activities of daily living (MR-ADL). The aim of this study was to investigate chronological change in MR-ADL among chronic dialysis patients in need of long-term care and the effect of admission to long-term care facilities on their MR-ADL. Methods: Data were analyzed from a long-term care eligibility assessment survey conducted in late March 2009 of 1000 individuals residing in Niigata City, Japan who were approved to receive long-term care. Then data from those individuals who had undergone the assessment survey ≥4 times over a period of ≥4 years were statistically evaluated. To reveal change in MR-ADL, this study performed a three-way analysis of variance with mean survey scores from assessment categories 2 - 5 containing questions related to MR-ADL as the independent variable and the number of eligibility assessment surveys (within-subjects factor), facility admission, and dialysis therapy (between-subjects factors) as dependent variables. Results: We observed the effect of facility admission in individuals aged >70 years for categories 2 - 5, and observed the effect of the number of assessment surveys taken only in women ≥80 years for categories 2 and 5. Regarding the effect of dialysis therapy, female dialysis patients aged ≥80 years and in need of long-term care scored significantly higher on survey items for transferring, grooming, toileting, eating, and instrumental activities of daily living, all of which are indicators of a moderate decline in ADL. Conclusions: Because dialysis is often initiated in women aged around 80 years, ADL in this group of individuals can be improved by the initiation and proper provision of dialysis.

Healthcare Needs of the Elderly People over 85 Years Living Alone on the Island Area in Japan: A Descriptive Study

Background: Japan has the highest aging people accounting 33.8 million with the rate of 26.7% in 2015. Although, public long-term care insurance services support people age 40 years and above, most of the users are 85 years and over due to their more vulnerability for getting sick. This study describes the physical, mental and social status of the elderly people aged 85 years and over, who were living alone at home. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2016 and March 2017 in the island of Kure city, Hiroshima, Japan. A structured questionnaire and scales were used for data collection and documentation of physical measurements. Descriptive analysis was used. Result: A total of 190 subjects were participated, and the data were analyzed. The age range of the subjects was 85 to 98 years, and 68.4% of them were 85 to 89 years old. Male and female ratio was 21.6% vs 78.4%. Subjects of 17.4% continued their occupation at the time of the study period and most of them involved in agricultural work (93.9%). A certain percentage of the subjects had abnormal physical, mental and social difficulties and need additional support from family, friends, relatives, and community. Conclusion: Early detection and intervention such as disease management, nutritional support, and human support are required. The findings suggested policy makers to predict the burden and provide necessary care for these elderly people. It is necessary to aware family, friends, relatives, community and government supporting staff to provide information on correct recognition and usages of long-term care insurance services for these elder people.

Correlations between Motor Ability with Gait Speed and Cognitive Functions in Rehabilitation Users

Purpose: To compare and examine motor and cognitive functions in people who require support, and in healthy elders. Method: The variables of age, BMI, educational background, blood pressure, grip strength, knee extension, gait speed, MMSE, and subjective health feeling for 36 rehabilitation users and 22 healthy elders were assessed. We compared and examined motor and cognitive functions in rehabilitation users who need support and healthy elders. Results: The percentage of MMSE scores with 27 points or higher and that of subjective health feeling with 3 points or higher were significantly higher in healthy elders than in rehabilitation users. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in rehabilitation users than in healthy elders. Gait speed and MMSE scores were significantly higher in healthy elders than rehabilitation users. Conclusion: Gait speed could be used for physical fitness in elders. Gait speed was the best physical fitness measurement for elders. Gait speed of rehabilitation users was strongly related to MMSE scores. Gait speed could be a determinant of MMSE scores.