Young people are not coming into the industry. Those in their 70s and 80s who will soon retire are supporting the elderly now.

Young people are not coming into the industry.

Because they are smart, not to choose industry that being underpaid in Japan.

In US caregiver and nurse can have good living. For caregiver in US can earn 6.8 million yen.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/caregiver-salary-SRCH_KO0,9.htm

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Registered nurse in US can get 80 thousands USD, even 6 digits. Help yourself convert it to Japanese yen.

While in Japan caregiver only get 185 thousands yen/months, anually become 2,22 million yen.

https://www.tokhimo.com/post/how-to-be-caregiver-care-worker-kaigo-in-japan

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See where the problem really located? The industry in Japan or young people? Oyaji just keep complaining.

Sakurasaki, I would like to clarify that while some U.S. nurses can make money, most do not, and home caregivers in the U.S. are not nurse and are as poorly paid as their Japanese counterparts.

America is suffering the same problem for the same reasons.

A real problem. Retirement homes and care homes are popping up everywhere in our city, suggesting there is great demand. Unfortunately, there is pretty much nothing you can do to make this work attractive to young people other than looking at improving the working conditions. Yeah, pay is one aspect, but some flexibility in working hours and other benefits might be helpful.

Elderly care differs from hospital-based nursing in one important aspect: nurses may be helping people to get better, so there is a romantic idea of being a Florence Nightingale type that makes a big positive difference. In elderly care, the people, unfortunately, are just not going to get better, so its a pretty depressing situation where you're doing all the undesirable aspects. How long before they start attempting to recruit people from developing countries to fill the gaps?

@ArtistAtLarge

You are misinformed. "The median annual salary for registered nurses (RNs) in the United States was $86,070 in May 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "

Median Salary: $86,070

Lowest 10%: Less than $63,720

Highest 10%: More than $132,680

75th Percentile: $104,670

25th Percentile: $75,990

Average hourly pay: $41.29

Projected job growth: 6%

Same here, so many new retirement homes popping up in prime locations where I would've preferred a new store. They go ahead and chop down perfectly good trees for these homes.

As for the lack of young workers, so what? You would much rather have the young generation working in more highly skilled/ productive jobs to help prop the country back up so that the elders can continue to enjoy their retirement. If everyone started taking these care home jobs, we can kiss our retirements good bye. Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait until we're able to implement technology in this sector, that is if those involved in the field are willing to adapt.

Not to forget the necessary qualifications and having a caring and empathy filled mindset, which are in fact a prerequisite for such a hard job. It's really at first not a question of money or age of staff, it's a problem of finding the fitting people. Even with full supply and availability of staff, believe it or not, but only a very small percentage could do that work properly in all its facets.

AI driven Robots needed ASAP to provide elderly daily support, along with autonomous driving etc.

Young people are not coming into the industry. 

What do you expect when you're paying the same as what an izakaya or department store is paying per hour?

Making people work 10-15 hour shifts doesn't help either.

Maybe try.........offering more pay? Giving discounts for worker's relatives if they become patients? And definitely cut the shifts into maybe 6 hour increments with ample break time in between? That might help.

Pay and updated working conditions help. They already hire uncertified foreign workers for this kind of job instead of improving conditions for the job itself to make it attractive. With nursing care becoming increasingly important there needs to be equal levels of benefits for workers. Simple as that.

ArtistAtLargeToday 08:13 am JST

America is suffering the same problem for the same reasons.

Unlikely as the US has not walled itself off from the outside world yet.

HopeSpringsEternalToday 11:54 am JST

AI driven Robots needed ASAP to provide elderly daily support, along with autonomous driving etc.

Certainly good enough for posting on JapanToday.

Got to have the right mind set.

I worked as a Psychiatric Nurse when I left school with lots of time in the geriatric wards.

Lots of the "gerries " had interesting life experiences, were not demanding and nasty and really appreciated simple help and a cup of tea. Their relatives had an easy time committing them to an institution...changed now.

For some people enjoyment in work not always money based.

These were "lock up " wards ....hospital next to a river and we didnt need runaways.

Lots of escape attempts though...one old Englishman casually asked if he could borrow a "cold chisel ".

KantoQuest, I work as a traveling consultant and been to many very large hospitals in my travels and assignments.

But I am misinformed am I? Is that so? Perhaps the various Internet forums nurses frequent are also misinformed? Perhaps they are.