Japan exploring new ways for long-distance elder care during Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has caused massive disruption and negative impacts worldwide. Japan has largely been spared the worst effects compared to other countries. However, COVID-19 has still affected the lives of Japanese people in several ways.

There have been health risks and economic damage as in other parts of the world. The pandemic has also had consequences for the everyday lives of Japanese people and their families.

Coronavirus hit senior citizens uniquely

COVID-19 has by far the worst effects on the elderly. The risk of serious illness and death increases with age and hits the worst for people in their 60s and above. Japan has seen around 16,000 deaths from the Coronavirus, and the vast majority of those were in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

This makes it especially important to protect senior citizens. However, in some ways, Japanese society has its own unique challenges in dealing with the problem. Many young Japanese, particularly from rural areas, move to larger cities in search of academic and professional opportunities. While those with elderly parents do try to go back as much as possible, the demands of adult life in Japan can make that difficult. The distance can also mean that they cannot detect diseases such as dementia early.

Because of this, it is not uncommon to care for elderly parents from a distance. In addition to visiting their hometowns, Japanese people often make use of nursing home facilities and types of long-distance care. Both visits and nursing services pose their own challenges in terms of the costs and effort required.

Fortunately, much of Japan’s elderly and vulnerable populations have now been vaccinated. However, COVID-19 has still caused issues regarding the support of wellness for seniors. Though travel was never banned under Japan’s states of emergencies, moving between prefectures has been highly discouraged. Visitors from other prefectures have, in some cases, faced negative attitudes and harassment. While nursing homes are available, they are often hotspots for outbreaks. This can be made worse by dementia, as patients suffering from the disease do not understand or obey Coronavirus protocols. There are also restrictions on visitors to prevent these outbreaks.

Tackling Japan’s long-distance care problem

There are methods and services available to people during these trying times. The same remote tools for remote work can be used for keeping in touch with elderly parents. Some devices and applications include features to make them more accessible for seniors.

There are also dedicated long-distance care services in Japan. One of these is called, Watakan, a support service for seniors established in 2014. Their services include providing nursing care for seniors living on their own and helping them with daily life tasks. Watakan also helps detect health issues such as loneliness, depression and dementia. They have specialized staff for these tasks who are able to respond 24 hours a day. In addition, Watakan helps with other necessities, such as accompanying seniors to get their vaccines, and helping them with family-related responsibilities, such as visiting graves during Obon.

Long-Distance Caregiving support association (LDCg) has started to offer Watakan’s services nationwide this year. As a long-term care and nursing specialist, LDCg aims to support the elderly who are not yet eligible for the public senior care system.

Everyone has had to make important adjustments during the coronavirus pandemic to protect themselves and others. With the elderly being the highest risk group, extra caution is needed, which can be a source of stress for themselves and their children. Remote communication tools and distance care services can ease the burden and help Japanese families get through this difficult time.