Purpose The principal aims of the present study were to understand the status of utilization of outpatient nursing care by elderly persons living in the local community and their related needs, and analyze factors affecting the use of outpatient nursing care.

Methods We selected A Town in a depopulated area as the target area. We conducted a questionnaire survey on the use of outpatient nursing care services targeting elderly persons and conducted interviews on the usage of outpatient nursing care service facilities. Through a comparison of the two, we analyzed factors that affect the use of outpatient nursing care services by elderly persons.

Results We received responses from 187 elderly residents living in the area, corresponding to 5.5% of the elderly population (as of January 2013). Concerning the conditions of use of outpatient nursing care services, securing a means of transportation was the most common, and there were many areas in the town and the former town pre-merger from which transportation to a facility was possible. A total of 197 persons were users of outpatient nursing care services in one of four facilities in the town; of these users, the majority were women, and later-stage elderly persons comprised 92.9% of all users. The observed utilization rate for the elderly population was 5.8%. A total of 99.0% of the users used the pick-up service to travel to the facilities, and the mean travel time to the facilities was 10.4 minutes. With regard to frequency of use, 49.2% of users used a facility three to four days a week, and the number of households that used a facility for more than four days a week was significantly larger for non-one-person households.

Conclusion Users of outpatient nursing care services tended to increase as the time of travel decreased, and these findings were consistent with the intention of use of outpatient nursing care services by elderly persons living in the local community. Moreover, it is clear that the usage by single elderly people, who are expected to have high needs, is lower in comparison with other households.