How the elderly utilizing in-home care services of the long-term care insurance system in Japan purchase foods and daily necessaries

通过在全国范围内随机抽取护理机构的邮寄问卷，对接受居家护理服务的老年人如何购买食物和生活必需品进行了一项实况调查。分析了1535名需要护理的老年人和1067名帮助者的有效回复。超过80%的老年人在购物时依赖帮手、其他家庭或不与他们一起生活的孩子。只有20%的老年人自己去购物。分别有一半的长者、护理员和助理员表示生命支援服务不足。依赖他人购物可能会导致老年人的衰老过程，并阻碍老年人智力和身体功能的恢复。更重要的是增加老年人在帮手陪同下自己购物的机会，以防止衰老，从而降低总体长期护理费用。

A fact finding survey investigation how elderly receiving in-home care services shopped for foods and daily necessaries was conducted using postal questionnaires distributed to care facilities nationwide that were randomly selected.Valid responses from 1535 "care required" elderlies and 1067 helpers were analyzed. More than 80% of the elderlies were depend on helpers, other households or their children with whom they didn't live, for their shopping. Only 20% of the elderlies went shopping by themselves. Half of the elderlies, their care-managers and helpers, respectively, responded that life support services were insufficient. Dependence on others for shopping may possibly contribute to the ageing process and prevent recovery of mental and physical functions in the elderly. Far more important is to increase the opportunity for the elderly to go shopping by themselves accompanied by a helper to prevent ageing and thus reduce overall long-term care costs.