The number of children with medical care needs at home have increased. However, the exact number of these children and the type of medical care are unknown. The purpose of this survey was to determine the nature of support for children with medical care needs at home in Japan. We distributed by fax machine questionnaires to 4,972 home-visit nursing care stations throughout the country. The return rate was 2,023 (40.7%). The number of home-visit nursing care stations serving children was 882 (43.6%). The number of children who used home-visit nursing care was 4,272, 55.1% of which were 0-6 years old and the rest were 6-18 years old. Of these children, only 72.4% had been receiving actual medical care. Eighty-eight point nine percent (88.9%) of these children were bedridden although some were able to sit up on their own. The remaining 11.1% were ambulatory. Among the surveyed districts, Kanagawa, Tokyo and Osaka had the highest number of children who used home-visit nursing care services.

The visiting nurse provides medical care for children such as tube feeding, suctioning, and management of the tracheostomy tube and respirator. Other medical care includes providing insufflatione xsufflation mechanical device that assists coughing, administration of enemas, and colostomy care. These findings should enhance the cooperation among local schools, nursery schools and home-visit nursing care stations to support the medical care needs of children.

Purpose : This study aimed to clarify the effects of healthy eating literacy, food-related community activities and expectations of registered dietitians on the eating behavior of community-dwelling young-old and old-old individuals.

Method : A questionnaire survey was conducted among 274 elderly people aged 65 years or older living in a large-scale residential complex that was developed in the 1970s. Eleven items from the food frequency questionnaire based on food groups (FFQg4.0) were used to assess eating behavior.

Results : In both young-old and old-old individuals, the level of healthy eating literacy affected eating behavior. In the young-old age group, having a family member who required care reduced eating behavior, while participating in a dinner gathering enhanced their eating behavior. In the old-old age group, the intensity of their expectations for planning and working on cooking classes or similar activities with a registered dietitian was associated with their eating behavior.

Conclusion : The results suggested that in dietary support for the older adults living in the community, healthy eating literacy was enhanced by registered dietitians doing activities together with elderly individuals, which can lead to improved eating behavior.

The purpose of this study was to search for persisting factors of home exercise which correspond to progress of severity from the viewpoint of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The subjects were 13 patients at home with PD of Hoehn-Yahr Stage II to IV. The method of the study : after a semi-structured interview, a search was conducted to clarify for factors that promote or inhibit the implementation and continuation of home exercise using the Steps for Coding and Theorization. As a result of the search, 21 promoting factors and 9 inhibitory factors were extracted. These factors could be classified into factors extracted in the entire process of Stage II to IV, factors extracted at the autonomous level in the progress process, and factors extracted at the assistance level. Furthermore, from the comparison with factors influencing the establishment of exercise habits of healthy elderly and necessary support and home movement of care recipients, “Understanding patient’s own PD” and “Combining self-care and exercise” were specific promoting factors for this subject. In addition, in the event that assistance was needed, “To carry out when the movement of the body is good” was a specific promotion factor for these subjects.

To clarify the significance of utilizing visiting nursing for elderly cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy, individual semi-structured interviews were held with 13 outpatient nurses and 10 visiting nurses. Qualitative content analysis was then carried out on the verbatim records. The significance of utilizing visiting nursing for elderly cancer patients was found to be as follows. In the period up to the first outpatient chemotherapy treatment, the significance was “the ability to create a framework for receiving support not only at the hospital, but also in the community.” In the period of continued outpatient chemotherapy, it included “the ability of the patient to receive advice at home on coping behaviors andpreventing his/her condition from worsening, thereby facilitating continuation of treatment and day-to-day living,” and “the ability of family to receive support enabling continuation of day-to-day living while coping with difficulties.” In the period when continuation of outpatient chemotherapy becomes difficult, the significance included “the ability of the patient to prepare for spending his/her end of life in the manner he/she decided on,” and “the ability to receive support for family caring for the patient.” The utilization of visiting nursing by elderly cancer patients enables the patients themselves to decide on treatment and place of recuperation, and contributes to grief care for families.

Based on a survey of households requiring long-term care in the small-scale city A in Hokuriku region, this study analyzes the aspect of continuing nursing care. The focus is on family resilience after quitting or changing one’s occupation to provide nursing care from the viewpoints of ① household finance management; ② ability to maintain daily life; ③ family beliefs; and ④ family cooperation, coordination, and communication.

The subjects were 574 family caregivers (recovery rate 40%) with an average age of 66.7 ±10.7 years, of which 71.8% were cohabiting. Half the subjects were employed, and of these, 99 people (17.2%) had experienced changes in their employment that consequently decreased their original income by 40%. On the other hand, the “daily life” of family resilience was maintained and they received support from family and relatives rather than friends or acquaintances. Regarding family beliefs, while “pride in a life with hardships” and “attitude to fight difficulties” were present, “humorous conversation” within the family and the “attitude of pitting against opinions” were low. Since the resilience of the region’s family caregivers was resolution within the family and the acceptance-type caregiving of the main caregiver, it was generally characterized as inward/enduring.

We examined the impact of clothes with inclusive design on the cognitive and psychological functions of the elderly with mental and physical disabilities.

The cognitive function, subjective physical condition, and psychological function of forty participants’ (8 male and 32 female) were appraised before and after manufacturing and wearing the clothes with inclusive design. Cognitive and psychological functions were measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), respectively.

The GDS score decreased from 6.7±3.4 pre-survey to 5.3±3.5 post-survey (p=0.05) and the levels of subjective health condition [very good] and [good] increased in the sample from 9 participants pre-survey to 26 participants post-survey (p<0.01).

The results indicated that wearing clothes with inclusive design affects the cognitive and psychological functions of elderly people with mental and physical disabilities.

Purpose : We aim to clarify the relationships between visiting nurse career orientation, interest in as well as perception of visiting nurse occupation, and visiting nurse practical training, among 4th year students at nursing colleges.

Method : We conducted a survey on 377 nursing students, using anonymous, self-administered questionnaires. The survey contained questions on basic attributes, visiting nurse career orientation, visiting nurse practical training experience, interest in the occupation of visiting nurse, and the situation of job-hunting activities. We then performed a logistic regression analysis, having as dependent variable the status of visiting nurse job hunting.

Results : The total number of survey respondents was 324, with 314 valid responses (effective responserate of 83.3%). As a result of logistic analysis, the factors affecting the career orientation towards a visiting nurse career were “interest in a visiting nurse occupation before practical training” (odds ratio = 2.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.37 – 5.28) and “interest in a visiting nurse occupation after practical training” (odds ratio=16.9, 95% confidence interval: 8.30 – 34.50).

Discussion : The orientation of 4th year nursing college students towards a visiting nurse career was related to the high interest in a visiting nurse occupation before practical training and growing interest after the practical training.