Society

Tokyo to help elderly if close family infected

Oct 15 (NHK) - The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to launch a program that will help elderly people to receive necessary care if their close family members test positive for the coronavirus.

After their family members get infected with the virus, elderly people are regarded as a close contact to the infected and become isolated with no one around to support them at home. There are also cases in which a family member infected with the virus often has to stay home to continue to provide care for the elderly.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's program comes in response to the request made in August from nursing care managers to secure facilities where such elderly people can stay and be provided with care.

The program calls for having facilities temporarily accept senior citizens who are not infected even after their family members got infected.

Under the program, municipalities will secure nursing care and accommodation facilities. If necessary, they will send care givers.

Community support centers will serve as a coordinator and provide consultations and transport elderly people to such facilities.

Municipalities will finance the use of those facilities by elderly people.

The metropolitan government has decided to provide subsidies of up to 10 million yen, or nearly 95,000 dollars, to the municipalities that carry out the program.

The metropolitan government is expected to outline probably next week how to carry out the program.

Officials in charge of nursing care insurance said that they will work to make sure that elderly people can lead a life without worries and infected members of their families can focus on their treatment.

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