An International Comparison of the Gain of Home Health Care in Japan, China and USA

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Background : The purpose of this study is to clarify the actual condition of home health care in Japan, China and USA, and to examine the gain of caregivers from a care-affirmative point of view.Targets and Methods : The study involved 215 groups of the elderly in need of home care and their family caregivers in Japan, China and USA. Interviews using questionnaires were performed to investigate the actual condition of their home care and their psychological and social condition concerning home care. All groups provided informed consent for the purpose of the study, their privacy guarantee and participation in the study.Results : As for the gender of the family caregivers, all in Japan, China and USA, female caregivers were more than those of male, and the ratio of male to female were higher in China compared with the other two countries.China also had more caregivers in the family and better family condition than Japan and USA. USA had the highest average age of the elderly as well as caregivers. Japan had the worst physical condition of the elderly and caregivers and the longest care period. As for caregiver's coping process, remedial skills were mainly used in China and USA : cognitive and remedial skills, in Japan. Caregiver's life satisfaction in each country generally went less owing to caregiving life, bat there were some whose life satisfaction stayed same before and after their caregiving lives. Both in Japan and China, "whether they have their own free time or not" was a common factor affecting their life satisfaction. "Care-affirmative feeling" was also another factor in China.