With the increase of average life span, the number of senior citizens(75-year-olds and over) who need intensive and long-term care also increase. Because these elderly tend to stay in bed, suffer from senile dementia, become socially and physically weak, they dependent on the care provided by their families, the help from the society, and insurance services. So far, we have responded to these elderlies only through public welfare services. But is has not been effective in responding to the elderlies who have duplicated disabilities and who also need health service. For this reason, this study aim to introduce the coordination of Health-welfare services to be provided by ’Home Care Support Center’, which is being put in operation in Japan, and to discuss its utility as an alternative to the previous approach.
Japanese Home Care support Center offers information services regarding care skills, how to use the services, the charges and the display of welfare facilities. It provides 24-hour services. It adopts flextime system in order to respond promptly to the clients needs during the busy time. It runs by a team which consists of a social worker and a nurse in order to meet the health and welfare needs of the clients.
The center suggests a model of Health-welfare office, which can be utilized in Korea, Korean society has a good condition for establishment of home care support center in that there are many health and welfare experts working for Health office, and that home-care welfare services have been provided. For this reason, the establishment of home care support center which coordinates health and welfare services and provides information services is needed to meet the diverse needs of increasing elderly population.
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