The medical treatment needs and in-home care service utilization of the elderly: a population-based data analysis of long-term care insurance payments in Tokyo, Japan

Hiromi Watanabe; Tomoko Onouchi; Ilhee Yoon; Chiho Oshima

doi:10.4081/gc.2024.11824

Authors

Hiromi Watanabe
hwatanabe@toyo.jp
Faculty of Design for Welfare Society, Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan.
Tomoko Onouchi Care Worker Training Program, Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan.
Ilhee Yoon Liberal Arts and Science, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan.
Chiho Oshima Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

How can we improve in-home care for the elderly with medical treatment needs? The purpose of this study is to investigate medical treatment and examine the use of home care services. We analyzed the long-term care insurance service payments data in City A (n=18,882) as of January 2019 and checked 12 medical treatment care needs items. The results showed that 10.1% (1913 of a total of 18,882) of people required medical treatment. The analysis was carried out by using a filter, “living in home” (n=15,320). We focused on urinary catheter and tube feeding. The study subjects are categorized into three groups: group 1 [both tubes (n=61)], group 2 [either tube (n=564)], and group 3 [no tube (n=14,698)]. The home help utilization rate was 27.9% in group 1, 29.9% in group 2, and 20.5% in group 3 (p<0.01). The home visit nursing utilization rate was 11.5% in group 1, 23.7% in group 2, and 8.1% in group 3 (p<0.01).

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Watanabe, H., Onouchi, T., Yoon, I., & Oshima, C. (2024). The medical treatment needs and in-home care service utilization of the elderly: a population-based data analysis of long-term care insurance payments in Tokyo, Japan. Geriatric Care, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/gc.2024.11824