Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) presented a policy proposal entitled, “Creating a Long-Term Care System for the Era of Healthy Longevity – Five Discussion Points Revealed by Current Circumstances and Three Perspectives For The Future.”

In order to tackle the issues along with the aging population including social hospitalization and care loads on family, the public long-term care insurance system was launched in 2000. Twenty years after its establishment, the long-term care system currently takes an essential role in our society. However, the continuous increase in needs for long-term care in accordance with the improvement in average life expectancy and increase in the elderly population has been an enormous financial burden and one of the threats to financial sustainability of the social security system as well as the health system and the pension system. Moreover, individuals, families and the society have been experiencing various changes in the past quarter century since the launch of the system; for example, the change in population structure, increase in nuclear families and dual-income households, and diversification of employment types. To respond to those changes, we may need to make a rational and radical rather than an incremental reform of the system to better suit the current era.

With that in mind, Health and Global Policy Institute aims to realize the long-term care system with which every person’s dignity is truly respected and every person can live the life that they could feel happy. To achieve this aim, we gathered multi-stakeholders as a task force to have interdisciplinary discussions on this long-term care system. This proposal gathered five important agendas for the future long-term care system from the discussions by the task force. Furthermore, from those discussion points, we put together “Three Perspectives for Building a Long-Term Care System That Can Support an Era of Healthy Longevity.” From FY2022, we will further discuss potential solutions based on the proposal.

*A recommendation written in English is published on May 13, 2022.

■ Five Discussion Points Revealed by Current Circumstances

1. Building a system that can uphold the dignity of each person while responding to changes among individuals, families, and in society
2. Positioning care in society and establishing a system to assess specialization and quality in long-term care
3. Boosting the social value of care and long-term care and creating an environment that facilitates participation from diverse stakeholders
4. Reinforcing the system and care provision for equity in long-term care that supports the lifestyles of people receiving long-term care
5. Fostering momentum for mutual support to reinforce the financial base

■ Three Perspectives for the Future

1. Respond to the disparities inherent in society and appreciate the dignity of each person
2. Make effective and efficient use of limited resources so long-term care reaches the people who need it
3. Develop communities that foster opportunities for mutual support

■Related events held in FY2021 (chronological order)

August 12, 2021 – Dementia Policy Project Holds First Task Force Meeting on “Redefining ‘Long-Term Care’to Create a Long-Term Care System for the Era of Healthy Longevity”
October 1, 2021 – Dementia Policy Project Holds Second Task Force Meeting on “Redefining ‘Long-Term Care’to Create a Long-Term Care System for the Era of Healthy Longevity”
December 20, 2021 – Dementia Policy Project Expert Meeting – Looking Back on Twenty Years of the Long-term Care Insurance System: Examining the Ideal Long-term Care System For Meeting the Needs of a Society of Healthy Longevity
March 3, 2022 – Dementia Policy Project Holds Third Task Force Meeting on “Creating a Long-Term Care System for the Era of Healthy Longevity”