Trends and Factors in Japan's Long-Term Care Insurance System: Japan's 10-year Experience (SpringerBriefs in Aging)

Ageing population poses a set of complex policy and dilemmas for social security systems, intensifying the concerns about rising expenditures in health care and long-term care for elderly. In this context, ageing societies has many valuable lessons to learn by studying Japan's experience dealing with its hyper-aged society and particularly from its strategies to ensure the financial sustainability of the Long-Term Care Insurance ( LTCI ) system. Based on an exhaustive literature review, and the results from six original researches on long-term care expenditures in Japan ( LTCE ) conducted during a doctoral program, the book provides a comprehensive view in analyzing trends and factors associated with increasing expenditures in the Long-Term Care Insurance system in Japan. The book address relevant topics such as; the main socio-demographic changes experienced by the Japanese society during the last three decades, predictors of the LTCE, measuring efficiency in nursing homes, the impact of the LTCI 2005-reform to contain expenditures, cost-effectiveness of the in-home and community based services and institutional LTCE in the last year of life. The book end with a discussion on futures challenges and strategies oriented to contribute with the sustainability of LTCI system in Japan Front Matter....Pages i-ix The Aging Population of Japan....Pages 1-14 Development of the Long-Term Care Insurance System in Japan....Pages 15-42 Long-Term Care Expenditures in Japan....Pages 43-68 Effect of the New Preventive Policy on Long-Term Care Expenditures in Japan....Pages 69-80 Measuring Efficiency in Special Nursing Homes in Japan: An Application of DEA Analysis....Pages 81-101 Institutional Long-Term Care Expenditures and Proximity to Death in Japan....Pages 103-117 Future Challenges in Establishing a Sustainable Long-Term Care Insurance System in Japan....Pages 119-138