The combination of medical advancements and a shift toward more comprehensive healthcare models has helped increase the life expectancy of nearly all populations in developed countries throughout the world. Over the past several decades, longevity has increased impressively, giving many a deep sense of optimism about leading a full, healthy life. Japan’s elderly demographic represents this aging trend, as now one in every four people in the country is over the age of 65. However, with an aging population comes a unique pressure felt by governments and communities that creates a need for drastic changes in health care strategies.
Japan’s infrastructure has made notable shifts in the last decade, placing greater focus on a healthcare system specifically designed to assist older individuals. Family support and community services are at the helm of this model, along with a detailed and robust system intended to cover the growing need for long-term care. Other countries are taking notice of the newly embraced system as their populations continue to push the norm of age limits, including the UK and its long-struggling NHS. Attempting to emulate Japan’s social care model is not a small task, but doing so successfully may prove to be the most beneficial shift for the NHS and the UK residents who rely so heavily on its presence.
Model Differences in Japan
In recent years, the government in Japan took note of the pressures facing the elderly communities as lifespans continued to increase. The response to the widespread issues was to create a social care system focused on people over the age of 65. Part of this system revolves around local government applications submitted by the elderly, allowing specialised care workers to review the needs of community residents. Once an application for social care is submitted and evaluated, an in-depth list of resources, mainly from the individual’s local community organisations, is provided along with a specific plan for care moving forward. These initiatives are based on the availability of funding for the local government in question, as well as the community-based organisations willing and able to provide quality care to their elderly residents.
Japan’s community-based care plan is a form of insurance not often found in similarly developed regions of the world. The ability to provide this type of model healthcare to older individuals is based primarily on the idea of restricting care home availability and moving the responsibility to community and family support systems. Covering the expenses associated with long-term care in Japan is not a minimal endeavor, given the high number of people over the age of 65. However, the government has determined that anyone over the age of 40 living in Japan pays a premium specifically for this care system, supplemented with co-payments from those receiving care later in life. Everyone is eligible for the long-term care benefits offered by local governments, but this eligibility is reviewed every few years to ensure sustainability and financial burden to younger Japanese citizens.
Translating Changes to Improve NHS Functions
The social care model in Japan has been highly successful, particularly in the eyes of the elderly citizens of the country who have little other resources to lean on when long-term care needs present. However, many countries have taken few steps to follow in Japan’s footsteps, despite the fast-paced aging of their populations. The pressures placed on healthcare systems without a social care model in place is immense, as can be seen clearly throughout the NHS.
Within the UK, the NHS manages the healthcare needs of millions of patients each year, but the last decade has proven challenging in keeping up with a growing and aging set of patients. The increased demand of the UK population in conjunction with lower budget thresholds have led to a reduction in the quality of care received by patients, including the elderly. The NHS has also seen wait times increase for a variety of diagnostic and treatment needs. While there have been initiatives put in place to improve these issues throughout the UK, the changes are both slow and nominal.
In an effort to bring to light the growing issue of the elderly population on the NHS, a group of medical negligence claims experts in the UK explains that the cost of a 65-year-old’s care is 2.5 times higher than the average 30-year-old. 85-year-old costs the NHS five times more than a younger patient, highlighting the need for change. The increased expenses in marriage with the increased number of elderly patients in the UK means the NHS has had no choice but to reduce other services and staffing to stay within budget. The unfortunate truth is that when these cuts take place, patients have the potential to suffer in both the short- and long-term. Without a solution, the healthcare system continues to face challenges that cannot be easily or appropriately overcome.
Taking note of Japan’s successful social care model, recent recommendations have come from leading organisations in the UK, intended to give the NHS and the powers that be some thoughtful direction on how to move forward efficiently. A shift toward a social care model must be seen as a long-term solution, not an immediate answer to NHS issues, and leaders throughout the UK must recognise that it requires both flexibility and accessibility to be implemented correctly. Japan’s social care system is not without its flaws, but the NHS can begin to make changes to help elderly UK residents improve their overall well-being and chances for living a long, healthy life by emulating the leading model of healthcare from Japan.
