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"Life Skills Difficulties Faced by Family Caregivers New Challenges Faced by Japanese Society as a Result of the Changing Profile of Family Caregivers"

Saito Mao, Matsuda Ryozo and Tsudome Masatoshi

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last update: 20151225


Life Skills Difficulties Faced by Family Caregivers New Challenges Faced by Japanese Society as a Result of the Changing Profile of Family Caregivers

Saito Mao, Matsuda Ryozo and Tsudome Masatoshi

This paper contends that changing profiles of carers may lead to increase of carers with life skill difficulties, exemplified by a case study on Japan, where informal care has been necessary, even with formal long-term care, to achieve decent quality of life of elders with disabilities at home. Changes in household composition, life styles, and social values resulted in increase of male carers. A survey, conducted by two authors (Tsudome and Saitoh), revealed that male cares have life skill difficulties that had not been pointed out by prevalent discourses on elderly care, supposedly, for the first time in Japan.

Questionnaires on difficulties in daily life and physical caring, distributed by home care providers, were collected from 295 male carers, who are in his 60s or 70s. 58.3 % of the respondents carried the care for their wives; 36.9% for their father or mother. The most common difficulties in daily life that the respondents faced were cooking (43.4%), sewing (40.3%), and cleaning (23.7%) (figures in parentheses indicate percentages of the respondents with difficulties). The most common difficulties in physical caring were bathing (33.6%), toileting (32.5%), and washing hairs (17.6%).

Furthermore, most of the respondents felt burden of caring and isolation from their social networks before providing care.

The difficulties faced by male carers can be interpreted as results of their life courses, suggesting female cares may face those difficulties in some conditions. Policies to address life skill difficulties shall be developed in addition to provision of formal long-term care.


REV: 20151225
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