Outpatient rehabilitation for an older couple in a repopulated village 10 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster:An embedded case study
Yuta Saito, Sora Sato, Yoshitaka Nishikawa, Fumiya Oguro, Nobuaki Moriyama, Keiichiro Sato, Yurie Kobashi, Toyoaki Sawano, Akihiko Ozaki, Takeo Nakayama, Masaharu Tsubokura, Seiji Yasumura, Shohei Sakai
Author information
- Yuta Saito
Department of Rehabilitation, Hirata Central Hospital - Sora Sato
Hirata Rehabilitation Care Center - Yoshitaka Nishikawa
Department of Internal Medicine, Hirata Central Hospital
Department of Internal Medicine, Kawauchi Village National Health Insurance Clinic
Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health - Fumiya Oguro
Department of Internal Medicine, Hirata Central Hospital - Nobuaki Moriyama
Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine - Keiichiro Sato
Seireikai Home Nursing Station Hirata - Yurie Kobashi
Department of Internal Medicine, Hirata Central Hospital
Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine - Toyoaki Sawano
Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation - Akihiko Ozaki
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation - Takeo Nakayama
Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health - Masaharu Tsubokura
Department of Internal Medicine, Hirata Central Hospital
Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine - Seiji Yasumura
Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine - Shohei Sakai
Hirata Rehabilitation Care Center
Introduction
Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) aims to enable older adults with disabilities and their families to continue living in their own homes1) CBR is categorized into home-visit rehabilitation, in which therapists visit patients, and outpatient rehabilitation, in which patients visit facilities for treatment2) Adequate access to rehabilitative treatment is important for preventive care, maintenance of physical and mental functions, and enabling patients to live in their preferred community.
Both patient-related and circumstantial factors affect access to CBR. Patient-related factors, including the aging process itself, fracture, and dementia, commonly cause increased long-term care needs3) Additionally, circumstances related to geographical distance and lack of healthcare resources in rural areas affect rehabilitation access4-6)
Nuclear disasters significantly complicate CBR access. In addition to circumstantial difficulties, evacuation and repopulation contribute to the aging of the area’s population and reduced social interaction7,8) Several studies have reported on medical care provision in communities after nuclear disasters9-14) Although few, these reports have emphasized the importance of securing CBR in resource-scarce areas.