Vulnerability of the home care workers under the marketization of care for the elderly and resolution of it

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K02071
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
• Research Institution: Jissen Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Yamane Sumika 実践女子大学, 人間社会学部, 教授 (80581636)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 介護保険制度 / 訪問介護 / ケア労働

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of marketization on the vulnerability of care workers, focusing on the provision of home care services under the Long Term Care Insurance. The survey in 2022 for the home care providers and the workers have shown that the state control of the resources aiming the efficient supply of resources has intensified the competition for the resources among the providers. The survey of the care workers also shows the care workers provide the service which are not covered by the LTCI benefit. Contrary to the logic of marketization of care that the provider which provide poor quality care will exit though competition among providers and choice of the users, for-profit companies are choosing profitable services and users, and the providers which are responsible to the user's needs siruates in the vulnerable positions.

Free Research Field

ケア労働とジェンダー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

介護の社会化を謳った介護保険制度開始から23年たつが、本来の目的であった公平で普遍的サービスの供給が困難な状況となっている。本研究からは、現金給付による代理受領の仕組み（出来高払い）、サービスの短時間化、介護報酬の加算などの国家の管理・コントロールが、効率的な資源配分を阻害し事業の継続を困難にしていることが明らかになった。特に新型コロナ・ウイルス感染拡大による利用控えや、サービス提供による感染リスクなど訪問介護事業所が置かれている脆弱性が露わになった。本研究は実証研究を通してサービス提供を維持するケア資源の配分のあり方について考察し社会的提言に繋げるという点で大きな学術的・社会的意義を有する。