The Current State and Challenges of the Long-term Care System in Japan
Yu-Cheng Sheng*
Abstract
The research objective of this study is to explore the Japanese government’s anticipated implementation of the Long-term Care Insurance System to put the nursing contract system into practice and provide diversified welfare services to cater to the current needs of elderly care as the problem of aging population grows. This study mainly explores the contract system for enhancing the government’s administrative efficiency and establishes a complete long-term care insurance service system. The following are also discussed: (1) The historical background of implementing the Long-term Care Insurance System in Japan; (2) The analysis of the contract system stipulated in the Long-Term Care Insurance Act and the Social Welfare Act; (3) The implementation case studies of the standardized service contract and key points of the contract; (4) Implementation cases of long-term care support specialists in assisting the elders to sign the contract.
Finally, it was found that the contract system under Japan’s long-term care welfare service system emphasizes information transparency and an appropriate explanation of the contract contents to the insured in order to enhance the administrative efficiency of government policy, which are the core values of the care contract system. In addition, its lessons to Taiwan’s long-term care include: emphasizing not only contract contents and an explanation of important matters, but also stressing the “user service-based” welfare service model and positioning the role of “long-term care support specialists” while clarifying in writing important points of the contract. Taiwan can also learn from Japan how to resolve the issue of an “information gap” in the care contract content between the service user and the service provider arising from the care contract system, taking into account the importance of both the “quantity” and “quality” of care services.
Keywords: Long-term Care Insurance, government efficiency, contract system, welfare services
* Senior Officer, Department of Social Insurance, Ministry of Health and Welfare, e-mail: syckimo_pccu@yahoo.co.jp.