[Comparison of home-care and welfare facilities]

Postoperative care conditions for elderly patients were examined. The present case is that of an 86-year-old man who underwent rectal amputation and colostomy owing to rectal cancer. Because he developed cerebral infarction and his disuse syndrome also advanced during postoperative hospitalization, he left the hospital with intravenous hyperalimentation. Because there were no beds available in the long-term care hospital and the care organization was not able to prepare his home appropriately, he had to enter welfare facilities. It is not rare for elderly people to become bedridden because of an operation. Recently, home care has declined because of elder-to-elder nursing care, an increasing trend towards the nuclear family, etc. It is therefore necessary to provide the equivalent medical organization in welfare facilities as provided by home care.