Japan To Permit Foreign Nurses To Assist Elderly

In Tokyo, the Japanese government plans to ease restrictions on foreign nursing workers conducting home visits for the elderly, as revealed by the labor ministry to an expert panel. This initiative supports Japan’s broader strategy to increase foreign labor participation, addressing challenges posed by an aging population and workforce shortages.

The severity of the issue is underscored by approximately 40 percent of service providers experiencing fiscal losses in 2022 due to demographic pressures.

Read more: Japan Sees Record Foreign Nationals Amid Labor Shortage

The proposed changes will permit individuals with specified skilled worker visas, technical internships, or prospective certified care worker status through economic partnership agreements with select nations to conduct home care visits. Currently, about 45,700 individuals in the sector hold one of these statuses.

Japan Times reports that presently, 8,600 foreign nationals are authorized for such visits, either through nursing care visas or economic partnership agreements for certified care workers.

These visits encompass vital tasks like personal hygiene assistance, household chores, and transportation to medical facilities. Language barriers have historically hindered foreign worker involvement, prompting plans by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for communication training and cultural familiarization among service providers.

Moreover, the ministry aims to introduce digital technologies like tablets for handling emergencies during visits and establish consultation services to prevent harassment targeting foreign workers.

Potential revisions to legislation could further expand eligibility for foreign workers conducting care visits, with integration into the revised technical trainee program anticipated by 2027.

Japan’s birth crisis is evident in statistics showing a 5.1% decline in births in 2023, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1899. To address this, the country is relaxing visa conditions to integrate more foreigners into society and bolster economic growth, vital in mitigating the impact of the birth crisis.