A Study on Care Management Practices for Supporting Low-Income Elderly People in Japan

Abstract

Purpose Osaka City has the largest number of households on welfare. In the case of Low-Income Elderly people who require support or nursing care, care managers in the community comprehensive support centers or the home-based care centers are responsible for providing consultation and support for living at home, including the use of home-based care services.The objective of the present study is to examine the relationships Relationships between Support in and outside the workplace, supports from the comprehensive Community General Support Center and Care Management Practices for Supporting Low-Income elderly people in Japan.

Method we conducted in January and February 2021 a survey with self-administered questionnaires, that were mailed to 800 randomly selected care management centers and comprehensive community support centers in Osaka City, Japan. Regarding COI disclosure, We have no financial relationships to disclose. All study procedures were approved by the Ethical Review Board of Human Subject Research at the BAIKA Women’s University. Structural Equation Modeling was performed to examine the relationship between the variables.

This research is supported by The six independent variables related to care management practices were: Arrangements in Financial supports for Formal service costs; Care planning and Implementation; Financial Support and Evaluation; Contract and Explanations; Assessment; and Contract and Coordinating Informal support and Formal services in care planning. The four dependent variables related to supports from the comprehensive Community General Support Center , Support in the workplace were: supports from administrator and colleague.The analysis method was a structural equation modeling.

Results and Discussion The response rate was 19.1% (N=153).As a result, the goodness of the fit indices was acceptable. Financial Support and Evaluation were associated with supports from the comprehensive Community General Support Center. We concluded that the care management practices were significant in supporting economically disadvantaged the elderly through the linkage between the elderly’s needs and social resources(especially with supports from the comprehensive Community General Support Center）. It is important for care managers to support the elderly by sharing roles with the community support centers.

Keywords: Care Management, Low-Income Elderly People

Affiliation: BAIKA Women’s University

Corresponding Author Email: ayabe@baika.ac.jp

Acknowledgement:This research was supported by the Japan Society of Care Management and BAIKA Women’s University