[Home care practice in Ishigaki Island, Okinawa]

In Yaeyama district in Okinawa, despite the scarcity of health-care resources for home visit, most of the patients used to choose home care instead of in-hospital care because of their special beliefs and preference different from mainland. Since people resided in a large family and formed a tightly knit community, patients were able to receive care from their family and community members. However, together with increase in chronic care facilities and modernization of the island that have brought downsizing of the family unit and loose community, the elderly are facing difficulty in receiving home care due to lack of care-givers. In order to establish the system to support the patients who wish to receive domiciliary care and live at home in their own life style, Yaeyama Hospital is expected to provide community-based health-care services 24 hours a day. It is essential that medical and welfare professions who are in charge of home care maintain close relations in good communication and collaboration.