2007 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 99-105
The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness and needs of older Korean residents in Japan for long-term care insurance services by analyzing the factors associated with their interest in using the services.
All participants were Koreans aged 65 years or older living in Tokyo's Ward A, and all were interviewed in their homes. The investigation items were the presence or absence of intention of using long-term care insurance services as well as the following: 1. predisposing factors (basic attributes, communication abilities in Japanese, inclination toward family care); 2. Enabling factors (degree of familiarity with the services, economic situation, receipt or non-receipt of public pensions, record on use of the services); and 3. Need factors (subjective sense of well-being, ADL, IADL). The χ2 test was used to examine the correlations between the presence or absence of intention of using the services.
Seventy-eight Koreans were studied. Among those, 35.9% were second-generation Koreans living in Japan. Those with strong inclination toward family care and without pensions accounted for 26.3%. The percentage that intended to use long-term care insurance services was 69.2%, which showed significant correlations with inclination toward family care and economic situation. Many of the Koreans had a positive view of the socialization of care and wanted family-centered home care with outside services. The study found significant correlations between the receipt or non-receipt of pensions, economic situation and age, suggesting that care premiums and fees are a greater financial burden for older Koreans without pensions when compared with the burden for older Japanese. For Koreans, the financial burden may possibly prevent obtaining services. The study showed that developing a support system to allow easy access to long-term care insurance services and providing help compatible with individual care needs are necessities.
