Assistance to social welfare services
The elderly and physically challenged people who had to move to undamaged but unknown facilities might feel very uneasy, anxious, and uncomfortable. These social welfare facilities had to accept many new affected tenants more than they can accommodate properly because of lack of space and beds, etc. The JRCS tried to assist these facilities by providing them with additional social welfare equipment, so that these anxious new tenants could feel secured and live their comfortable lives. The funds were allocated for the following major activities.
| Programme | The forms of support | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donation of materials | Support of personnel, knowledge, and experience | Subsidies | ||
| 1 | Distribution of medical/nursing beds | 〇 | ||
| 2 | Distribution of items for group homes for the elderly | 〇 | ||
| 3 | Provision of welfare vehicles for social welfare institutions | 〇 | ||
| 4 | Services of caretakers for the elderly | 〇 | ||
| 5 | Construction of public housing for the elderly | 〇 | ||
| 6 | Construction of Kesennuma Social Welfare Centre | 〇 | ||
1. Donation of materials
(1) Distribution of medical/nursing beds (FY2011)
Medical/Nursing beds in Tagajo City, Miyagi, July 2011 (c) JRCS
JRCS donates sets of nursing care beds (a nursing care bed, side rails, a mattress) to the social welfare facilities that newly accept affected patients requiring nursing care. A total of 959 nursing care beds were donated in the three affected prefectures. Of these, 205 nursing care beds were donated to Iwate prefecture, 658 to Miyagi, and 96 to Fukushima.
Target area: Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima
Target of facility assisted: social welfare facilities newly received affected patients requiring nursing care
Number of nursing care beds donated: 959 beds
Number of people assisted (estimated): approximately 1,000-1,900
(2) Distribution of items for group homes for the elderly (FY2011)
More than 60 social welfare institutions for the elderly and physically challenged were operating in prefabricated structures. Based on requests from the municipalities, the JRCS provided a total of 2,239 items of furniture and fixtures, including dining tables to fit wheelchairs, electronic appliances for dining spaces and kitchens, vacuum cleaners, AEDs and other items to 62 social welfare institutions in the three most affected prefectures.
Target area: Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima
Target of facility assisted: temporary group care facilities
Number of items of furniture and fixtures: 2,239 items
Number of people assisted (estimated): approximately 600
(3) Provision of welfare vehicles for social welfare institutions (FY2011)
Going to Day Care Center by a special van donated by the JRCS in Iwanuma City, Miyagi in March 2012. (c) JRCS
The JRCS donated welfare vehicles to the social welfare facilities and local governments that had their welfare vehicles swept away or destroyed in the disaster. For each affected Prefecture, a total of 338 welfare vehicles of 11 different types were selected in consideration of the situation of each facility and municipality. Of these, 40 vehicles were delivered to Iwate Prefecture, 145 to Miyagi and 153 to Fukushima.
Target area: Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima
Target of facility assisted: social welfare facility and municipalities lost welfare vehicles in disaster
Number of welfare vehicles donated: 338 vehicles (207 places)
Number of people assisted (estimated): approximately 4,200-8,300
2. Support of personnel, knowledge, and experience
(1) Services of caretakers for the elderly (FY2011)
The JRCS deployed 67 staff to evacuation centres in the affected areas and provided psychological care, meals, baths, and other assistance to the elderly.
Target area: Iwate
Target of people assisted: elderly patients requiring nursing care in nursing care facilities
Number of caretakers deployed: 67 caretakers
Number of people assisted (estimated): approximately 48-120
3. Subsidies
(1) Construction of Construction of public housing for the elderly (FY2012-2018)
They provided permanent housing for elderly survivors who lost their homes. They are equipped with community rooms or common laundry spaces as a measure to prevent isolation among residents.
Target area: Fukushima
Target of people assisted: mainly elderly households who lost their housings in disaster
Number of elderly housing constructed: 68 units in Fukushima (Soma city and Shinchi Town)
Number of people assisted (estimated): approximately 100
| Location | Number of housing units | Year of Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Shinchi | 22 units | November 2013 |
| Soma | 46 units | November 2013 |
(2) Construction of Kesennuma Social Welfare Centre (FY2012-2016)
Opening ceremony of the Social Welfare Centre in Kesennuma April 2017. (c) JRCS
The JRCS assisted the reconstruction of the social welfare centre that was completed in December 2016. The newly-constructed centre has multiple functions and works as a community support centre for parents, elderly and physically challenged people as well as the first-meeting point for social workers in case of emergencies.
Target area: Miyagi
Target of people assisted: eldery and physically challenged people and their families
Number of people assisted (estimated): approximately 50,000
