Japan will make big changes in health care delivery for elderly

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry decided Wednesday to enhancemedical services for the aged at additional health service facilitiesto be established as part of its reorganization of geriatric care, by,for example, increasing the number of nursing staff on duty at night tocare for terminally ill patients, sources said.  The ministry plans to map out by summer details of services to beprovided at the new facilities to be opened to accommodate elderlypeople after hospitals stop providing chronic nursing care in fiscal2011. As an initial step, the ministry will present its draft plan toits panel tasked with studying what kind of nursing facilities thenation needs at a meeting scheduled for Friday.  In order to reduce nursing and medical costs for the elderly, thegovernment has decided to stop providing nursing services at hospitalsand reduce the number of elderly patients receiving chronic care athospitals to 150,000 from 250,000 by the end of fiscal 2011.

Read more:  Daily Yomuri Online, http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070518TDY03006.htm