¡¡My name is Masaru Matsumoto, and I have been appointed as Professor of the Collaborative Research Course at the Department of Well-being Nursing, which was established on April 1, 2024. In this department, we aim to develop and implement medical devices and welfare equipment through industry-academia collaboration, allowing home care patients with advanced medical and nursing needs to achieve well-being and maintain their independence with dignity until the end of life. Specifically, we strive to establish a well-being home care model that extends the healthy lifespan of elderly individuals receiving home care.

In Japan¡¯s super-aging society, the shift of medical care from hospitals to homes and facilities is being promoted through the construction of a regional comprehensive care system. Rural areas like the Oku-Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, where the aging rate exceeds 40%, are increasing, and it is expected that the number of elderly people receiving home care with medical needs will continue to rise. Many of these home care patients experience a decline in function due to aging, leading to extended periods in bed and eventually becoming bedridden. Bedridden patients face complications such as pressure ulcers caused by prolonged pressure and disuse syndrome from reduced activity. While sitting in a wheelchair is a common intervention, it can sometimes result in “fixed sitting” complications. If left unaddressed, this can lead to worsening symptoms, reduced healthy and happy lifespans, and a decline in quality of life (QOL). Given the shortage of medical and caregiving manpower, it is crucial to establish new home care systems that utilize sensor technology and ICT for monitoring and early detection of abnormalities through AI to ensure the safety and comfort of home care patients, preventing them from becoming bedridden or fixed sitting.

At this department, we are developing and implementing medical devices and welfare equipment to realize well-being home care for home care patients, with a team centered on specialists in nursing and physical therapy, through industry-academia collaboration. We look forward to your continued guidance and support.