An article reporting survey results showing that many of the 250 people with caregiving experience surveyed for long-distance care return home at least once a month. It also provides details on the distribution of current caregiving situations, the actual cost of returning home and sources of caregiving information.
The current caregiving situations of respondents were divided into three main categories: 34.8% had a family member living in a care facility, 32.4% provided care at home and 19.2% provided long-distance care. Among those who reported providing long-distance care, the most common frequency of returning home to provide care was 1–3 times a week, at 47.9%, while more than 90% returned home at least once a month.
For long-distance care, 67.1% of respondents said their transportation costs per round trip were less than ¥5,000, the most common response. However, when the distance from the person receiving care was 3 hours or more, transportation costs of ¥30,000–¥50,000 per trip were common.
Care managers were cited by 74.8% of respondents as a source of caregiving information, followed by hospitals and doctors, and family members and relatives. The survey was conducted by Carethru Nursing Care among 250 people with caregiving experience.
The survey notes that the circumstances of caregiving are difficult for others to understand, and that the caregiving arrangements and costs of people nearby are not readily visible. The results are described as useful for understanding the realities of long-distance care and gauging the associated costs.