In this study we looked to identify factors related to post-discharge support and practice for patients and families who make the transition from clinical treatment to home care. Subjects were 117 clinical ward nurses who responded to a self-administered questionnaire survey by mail. The results of factor analysis categorized the content of home care to have 29 items consisting of 4 different factors. The current status of practice of the 29 items varied significantly, and the average degree of practice was highest for the 4th factor, “Support for enhancing social function aimed at patient independence,” while the 3rd factor “Backing the creation of support relationships for sustaining families” had the lowest average degree of practice. Of the factors related to actual practice, nurses with experience in home care for families or relatives reported high average values for the “Support from home healthcare teams to meet needs of patients and families” and “Backing the creation of support relationships for sustaining families” factors (p< 0.05). In contrast, nurses with experience in providing home care had high values for the “Support for enhancing social functions aimed at patient independence” factor (p<0.05). It is important to use the knowledge and ability of person have experienced the home service and to make chance that the inexperienced person experience home service.

In this study, correlates of considering quitting were examined among nursing directors of visiting nursing stations. A questionnaire was sent to all of the station directors (n = 191) in A prefecture. Ninety six (50.3%) questionnaires were returned and analyzed. Over 70% answered that they had thought about quitting the director’s job in the past. Fewer directors working at private sector stations, and those with an annual salary over 6 million yen or below 4 million yen had considered quitting. Those who did not have control over working hours of their staff and of their own, or over the general budget, and did not have an open salary system at their stations considered quitting more. The question items on difficulties as station director were divided into : “burdens related to service provision,” “burdens related to management,” “cannot participate in administrative decisions,” and “burden related to administration.” The first three difficulties were associated with considering quitting. This suggested that not being able to participate in administrative decisions was more stressful than being burdened with the responsibility of administration. Most questions associated with thoughts of quitting were related to the relationship with the owner corporation. Extending the range of the nursing directors’ discretion seemed important in preventing the directors from quitting their job.

The aim of this study is to clarify the framework of sentiments of home-care workers regarding their care for the mentally handicapped. M-GTA was employed as the method for research and ten full-time home-care workers participated in the study. Each home-care worker was interviewed separately and the data was analyzed. Results showed that home-care workers felt they “didn’t understand the illness.” The home-care workers had been providing home care for mentally handicapped patients based on their past home-care experience which was subject to nursing-care insurance and by “comparison to home care for the elderly.” Their sentiments regarding their support were divided into two categories namely “support which they felt satisfied with” and “support which they felt was insufficient.”

The followings were raised as future issues for study: ① the need for education and training of homecare workers to develop their skills: ②there is a demand for a system in which support, such as supervision by a third party, is provided to home-care workers: ③ building a support system for home-care workers: ④ strengthening mutual support among co-workers: ⑤ establishing a good relationship between home-care workers and system care recipients and implementing support based on mutual consent between homecare workers and care recipients.

The purpose of this paper was to survey the physical, mental and social conditions of communitydwelling patients suffering from ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).

A questionnaire survey, which included an extended scale for activities of daily living (ADL) and a subjective quality of life(QOL) index, was conducted on 105 patients who were members of a self-help group for OPLL in A prefecture.

According to the collected data, the mean age of patients suffering from OPLL was 65.7 years, and the mean age at onset of OPLL was 55.1 years. Approximately 90% of the patients had symptoms of pain, palsy and limb coldness. Compared to patients under the age of 65, those aged 65 or older had fewer perfect ADL scores and had lower subjective health scores. Compared to patients who did not have severe limb coldness, those with limb coldness had lower ADL scores. In addition, compared to patients who did not have severe pain, palsy or limb coldness, those with these symptoms had lower subjective QOL scores.

These findings indicate that it is important for nursing staff to prevent exacerbation of pain, palsy and limb coldness in patients suffering from OPLL.

This study was a qualitative study to identify characteristics of home care patients and their families in an area of heavy snowfall. Participant observation and a semi-structured interview were conducted for 9 patients and their family caregivers. The snow and high-floor style house did not cause difficulty for home care. However, caregivers needed ‘support for patient transfer or going out’ and ‘the delivery system of medical specialists, such as visiting doctors and nurses,’ especially in winter. Teaching patients and caregivers about ‘the need for and manner of mouth care’ for preventing aspiration pneumonia and ‘positioning and rehabilitation in the home’ were important issues that helped encourage patients and their caregivers. Moreover, results suggested the importance of the following issue to encourage home care： ‘flexibility of welfare services from the viewpoint of patients', ‘the presence of a person who pays attention to caregivers and understands their efforts,’ and ‘construction of a support system’ for caregivers that recognizes the value of their care and helps establish a more confidential relationship between patients and their caregivers.

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors related to duration of standing on one leg in 26 elderly female residents of a community. The duration of standing on one leg were measured as indices of standing balance, and their association with physical function, such as upper and lower limb muscle strength and plantar sensation, and attention function assessed by the trail making test were investigated using correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. The foot-gripping force and attention function were significantly correlated with the duration of standing on one leg, Standing balance was stabilized as the foot-gripping force and attention function increased. Based on these findings, the attention function of elderly women may be directly involved in duration of standing on one leg.