Month: January 2023

Since I have been volunteering at Tai Chi school for seven years, I quit volunteering in December 2022 because the independent nursing home has proposed introducing a membership fee system instead of holding the class as an event of the facility (independent nursing home). And also the number of members has decreased for a reason. Nationwide, the decrease in the Tai Chi population is announced since the beginning of COVID-19.
Although many people are on the waiting list (persons wishing to enter)* at special-nursing homes for the aged, the number of additional facilities is declining, and private nursing homes are entering an era of competition. It seems like a way to cut costs.

*On December 19, 2022, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare announced that there were 233,000 people on the waiting list for special-nursing homes for the aged and 213,000 people with 3-5 nursing care needs.

One day, the manager of an A office suggested that “if we introduce a membership fee system, attendance will improve, and the number of participants will increase.” This facility has been operated by Haseko, a major construction company, for over 20 years. It seems that the number increased one after another because the expensive one-time entrance fee can use for the construction costs of the next facility. However, in terms of its operation, it claims to operate 24 hours a day, but it seems that “money” is necessary to ask for anything service even if you are sick.
There is no significant difference in the purchase price, but you must pay the amount for about ten years in advance.
So if you live there for more than ten years, you got merit.
However, Report said that some facilities for the elderly are experiencing problems with early termination (moving out).
Another characteristic of Japan is that there are many female residents in private and special nursing homes (about 80% in this facility). It may be the best idea to work hard and have nursing care for the rest of your remaining life and meals (you can cook for yourself). Or someone who has lost the comfort of being alone and the ties of family. It seems that there are not many people who sell their homes and move in with their spouses.

I have volunteered (Tai Chi, listening, etc.) at 3 or 4 nursing homes, but I won’t compare them.
After constructing nursing homes, Haseko has a subsidiary called Seikatsu Kagakukan (recently changed to Plancière in French), which operates nursing homes and also independent nursing homes, and group homes. There are many in Saitama, and four in the neighborhood of SUCHITOO’s house, so I see mutual use (transition from independent type to nursing care facility, participation in events, etc.) as possible. However, depending on company policy, I won’t go into it this time.
They have invited me to festivals and events held at a facility. They intend to do PR in various ways plans which are fun activities after moving in and recruiting new residents. In addition, They have introduced me to planning consultations and solicitations, such as inheritance in partnership with administrative scriveners and banks.

However, perhaps due to the lack of staff, four facility managers (house managers and office managers) have been replaced in seven years. The general staff members also change frequently, so I hear from residents that they have difficulties communicating with staff.

A cafeteria, karaoke equipment, and a book corner are in the common area of its facility. Gardening is not possible because there is no garden. The rooftop is not open for residents, probably because they judged it dangerous.  He spends most of his time in his room, and if he wants to take a large bath, he can go to Haseko’s facility for the elderly nearby. We do not hold funeral ceremonies or farewell parties when a resident passes away (many do not even do at nursing homes for the elderly).

@SUCHITOO doesn’t want to move into a nursing home. First of all, I don’t think there is freedom, but there are “rules” and “group life,” and there are some things that are natural because it is a communal life, but I feel that it is difficult to move in.

What is convenient is that there is always someone to take care of you, which gives you a sense of security. You can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as your request. Facility usage fees are other than the burden and Common service fees (management fees) (there is no cost for the house).

The number of users of the national long-term care system is small in independent facilities, information and decisions will depend on consultation with care providers, and I am not sure whether the guardianship system and the public administration departments are well-taken care of. The conclusion is that it is good to stay at home (apartment, etc.) while you can live independently or if you are a mild caregiver. Even in that case, if necessary, you can use the home-visit nursing care system by consulting with an area Comprehensive center operated by the national long-term care insurance. I think that a special-nursing home for the elderly is the best option for those who require serious care.

However, I always feel that the confined type, who is a resident and is not allowed to go out or take a walk, is not a positive for his mental and physical health, so I look at him and comfort him. Also, if you’ve been living in a rented house for a long time, it’s ok, but I’m opposed to selling my home and moving in, but it would not be suggested to live a double life.

Property management is having difficulties, so it is necessary to use the guardianship system and prepare a will as an inheritance. Of course, many residents will be able to live on their pensions, but if you are a couple, you may find yourself in poverty even if you can afford it, so you need to think and prepare about it in advance.

Above are my impressions of volunteering at some nursing homes, and guidelines for his path for more than ten years. I am not talking about this independent nursing home.

On this blog site, I will also post an article on “Infectious Diseases, Depression, and Dementia.”

I am interested in “Infectious diseases,” “Clinical depression” and “Dementia.” Before getting Dementia, there is also Forgetfulness, but it seems to be the difference between cases without Dementia and potential Dementia. Of course, in this blog, I would like to focus on myself, analyze and appeal if possible. I would like to introduce them, but there are too many, so I would like to introduce them in moderation.

Let’s consider infectious diseases first:
Viruses, starting with COVID-19, are the enemies of mankind, but they seem to have overcome a lot of them (in the past, yellow fever and rubella, which is still ongoing, and the recent one is COVID-19).
The method of cure for these diseases is being established day by day. I, SUCHITOO don’t like going out in crowds, so I am currently free from COVID-19.
However, since I was born in Japan, I have been bitten by mosquitoes and have gotten sick many times since I was a child, and since I became an adult, Tropical Onyx mosquitoes bit me in Thailand and infected Dengue fever twice.　 If the cause of the disease is known, there are medicines and cures, but there are a lot of unknown diseases. It is necessary to take measures before the treatment, but the water for humans to live flows from trees and becomes a water source, but mosquitoes carrying pathogens live in the forest, so they are stronger than us. How should I be careful? Humans lose to them, so “Stay away,” use preventive medicine if available, don’t drink raw water, don’t go into the jungle, don’t rely on the government, etc.　 Experience points are the way to deal with them. There are also syphilis and sexually infectious diseases contracted by humans and pets such as cats and dogs.
There are a lot of insects, animals, and plants that attack humans in tropical regions.  I hope there to come up with treatments for that.

Think about Depression:
It is a “mental disease” that many people suffer from stress, and many of them are serious. It is the reality for me also, when I’m depressed, and it can cause problems one after another, make me feel sick, and sometimes, alternately repeat between mania and depression. The recommendation is to get away from this cycle is important to live relaxed for a serious person. And to be diligent, or not, both will be needed in life.
There are many hospitals and depression researchers, but Dr. Yuichiro Tokunaga, the author of “Not only antidepressants and counseling, but nature and the power to stimulate the five senses organs, can change people.’ And some other doctors are working hard to make a full recovery.
SUCHITOO says that one of the things that cause mood disorders is a lack of energy in the brain, by which sometimes makes him depressed. If you feel tired quickly, cannot sleep, have any appetite, Lack self-confidence, or cannot adjust the balance between your mood and emotions. You should have time to rest and maintain your common balance without relying on your doctor. I recommend it because I am doing things like eating, and other things, such as hobbies and lifestyles, sometimes hot springs and travel are the best medicine.

Now think about Dementia:
Dementia is attracting attention because deceived by the phrase of rumor that affects one in seven Japanese. It is a disease that reduces the function of the “brain,” so it will be difficult to recover. In the future, someone develops many cure methods (including medicine) will be available, but I would like to distinguish them from schizophrenia, gambling, and many other addictions.
These types are known as dementia diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Lewy bodies, and Frontotemporal, but there is also juvenile dementia. The definition of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan is the deterioration of cognitive functions, such as memory, judgment, and thinking, which is brain function deterioration.  So that it is difficult to recover and annoys and causes surrounding people troubles (wandering, Violence/verbal abuse, paranoia, etc.).
Therefore, that is regarded as a problem. It also appears to be associated with diseases of the duodenum, liver, kidneys, and lungs that affect the body. The treatment methods include medical therapy, which is not very good, occupational therapy, music therapy, exercise therapy, and reminiscence therapy. Acquaintances recommend farming and horticultural therapy.

Then I find out my solutions:
Advertisements, such as treatments for depression and dementia, are published in general Japanese newspapers. The Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) had an article about “the power of nature” (Dr. Tokunaga) against dementia, and I found the existence of dementia and rehabilitation study group on the website. Also, to prevent depression and dementia, a psychiatrist Hideki Wada and others have published books on how to think about how to live, and they seem to be selling well. However, I would like to point out that there are not many studies and books on infectious diseases that are common in the tropics, and there are few specialists (there are two hospitals specializing in tropical diseases in Tokyo). I have an acquaintance who died after being mistakenly diagnosed as having a cold by a town doctor in that situation.
I do not want to agree with standing still in the 100-year lifespan, but I think it would be good to refer to the comments from experts, hospitals, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.