The purpose of this study is to compare the transformation of the characteristics of facilities after the long-term care insurance was enforced for health care facilities for the elderly in 2000. In this report, we conducted nation-wide surveys on people in health care facilities for the elderly in October 1998 and in November 2002. We analyzed and compared them. As the result, we found that the ratio of people staying long term in the health care facilities after the insurance was enforced is higher than before. Also the ratio of people returning home is lower and the ratio of people returning to hospitals is higher than before. But four types of attributions of facilities are not significantly related to the proportions. The analysis showed us that the principle of an administration influenced the characteristics of the facilities. We should consider some factors that influenced characteristics of facilities.
