Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the family care giving for elderly households by their separately living children and to discuss the support for the elderly and their children in an under populated region. The study participants were 2 single elderly and 4 couples households during a one-year period. Their daily lives and the support they received from their children who lived in different households were investigated. What help they needed and how we could support them were discussed. The results of the study were as follows ; the frequency of visits by their children varied, some of the support areas from children were helping with shopping, financial support, housekeeping, farming, and decision-making. Helping accessing services, support for the children, support for the decision making about family care giving, support from the neighbors, home health care service, financial support were some of the areas that these families needed assistance. The children visited their parents through out the week. "Commuting Care" is a suitable expression for this situation. Furthermore the term "Commuting Family" is also a suitable expression for the family. Support for commuting care and the commuting family were as follows : helping accessing services, support for the child's health, support for the elderly and their separately living family members by a care-manager, public health nurses and nurses, home care service for the elderly in order to keep their health and daily life, financial support, support networks with neighbors in the community.
