This paper covers our recent work regarding family caregiver burden for elderly. The topics are as follows: cross-sectional studies on caregiver burden; changes in caregiver burden; appropriateness of the Long-Term Care insurance assessment scheme; attitude towards caregiving among caregivers; and the development of the short version of the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview.

There has in recent years been some debate, and various analyses, concerning likely future demand for long-term care for elderly people. This has been prompted by the wider policy debate about how best to finance long-term care. The policy debate has culminated in the establishment of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care for the Elderly. Its report was expected shortly as this Bulletin went t...

This article explores economic aspects of the market for long-term care (LTC) in Japan. As the world's most rapidly aging nation, it is of interest to understand that country's current LTC system and projections of LTC utilization patterns and costs, as well as their potential drivers. Since Japan appears likely to experience important shortfalls in LTC in the future, the authors also discuss a...

Background and objectives: Hawthorn as an ethno-pharmaceutical plant has been consumed for 2,500 years. Flowers, leaves and fruits of hawthorn are rich in antioxidant and polyphenols and are popular in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Methods: In the present study, by using various media and plant hormones the regeneration and callogenesis capacity of...