2024 Volume 64 Issue 4 Pages 42-55
This study proposed to examine the varied factors inhibiting the use of the adult guardianship system, including the characteristics of rural mountainous areas and the social resources associated with the system. The term “long-term care insurance policy” tended to be utilized with relatively high frequency as an impetus for petitioning for adult guardianship. The state of social resources such as long-term care insurance services wielded some influence on the use of the adult guardianship system. Therefore, we hypothesized that the vulnerability of social resources, particularly evident in rural areas, disincentivizes the use of the adult guardianship system. We conducted an interview-based survey of employees of social welfare agencies engaged in the adult guardianship system and analyzed the data using Ochi’s (2011: 65) welfare accessibility analysis framework. The results revealed that poor access to long-term care insurance services made it difficult to connect with the adult guardianship system. The paucity of professionals managing real estate such as owner-occupied houses, mountains, and fields also served as a deterrent.
