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The article examines the role of older assistant care workers in addressing the shortage of caregiving resources in Japan, particularly focusing on their mental health benefits. Through a nationwide survey, it was found that these workers perceive various benefits from their employment, including contributing to society, income generation, and health promotion.

The article discusses the challenges faced by community-based organizations (CBOs) in providing long-term care prevention activities and daily assistance services for older adults in Japan, highlighting issues such as volunteer shortages and difficulty in meeting clients' needs. It suggests that collaboration with the working generation, particularly through initiatives like Pro Bono, can help alleviate these challenges by utilizing professional skills to enhance CBO services.

Objective　In this study, we clarified the characteristics of tasks performed by older assistant care workers at geriatric health services facilities, by individual characteristics and work status. Additionally, we examined the relationship between the tasks and benefits of working for older assistant care workers.Methods　A self-administered questionnaire survey was provided to 2,571 elderly care facilities employing assistant care workers aged ≥60.　A total of 1,606 responses were obtained, and personal characteristics, working conditions, tasks, and benefits of working for older care assistants were surveyed. Thirteen work tasks were established and categorized into four broad categories; user transfer assistance, facility maintenance, meal-related assistance, and managing and talking to users. Seven benefits of working as care assistants were "contribution to society," "social connection," "purpose of life," "income," "learning from caregiving," "health maintenance and promotion," and "time utilization."Results　Most of the respondents were women and relatively young workers. Among tasks, men, younger workers, and those working >5 days weekly represented a high proportion of those performing user transfer assistance tasks. Tasks on managing and talking to users were not correlated with sex, age, and number of days worked, but those with more flexible work patterns were more likely to be engaged in such tasks. Logistic regression analysis showed that user transfer assistance was correlated with benefits of working, such as "contribution to society," "social connection," and "learning from caregiving." Moreover, facility maintenance was associated with "income," "health maintenance and promotion," and "time utilization" and meal-related assistance was associated with "learning from caregiving." Managing and talking to users was associated with "contribution of society," "social connection," "purpose of life," and "learning from caregiving."Conclusion　The tasks of the workers were associated with individual characteristics and work status. The perception of benefits between the working tasks that involved frequent contact with users and those that did not were considerably different.

Objectives　In recent years, the Japanese government has promoted a livelihood support system based on residents-based mutual help in the community. This study aimed to examine the associations between the need for livelihood support and the relationship with community residents among older adults who do not use livelihood support in a rural area. We operationally defined livelihood support as helping older adults with daily problems so that they can continue to live in familiar neighborhoods.Methods　A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in Gejo Area of Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture in October 2018. The questionnaires were distributed to all 1,033 residents aged 65 years or over, excluding those certified with care levels 3-5 in the long-term care insurance system. The survey items included basic characteristics, health status, relationship with community residents, and need for 33 livelihood support items.Results　A total of 802 questionnaires were returned (response rate of 77.6%), and 653 community-dwelling individuals who had not used livelihood support were included in the analysis. Factor analysis grouped the 33 livelihood support items into four factors: temporary problems and troubles (53.4%), participation in events and gatherings (38.0%), daily household chores (31.7%), and small problems in daily life (27.7%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the need for assistance with temporary problems and troubles was related to "low trust in community residents," "willing to help community residents but have not yet done so," and "willing to help community residents and have already done so." The need for assistance with participation in events and gatherings was related to "willing to help community residents but have not yet done so," "willing to help community residents and have already done so," and "higher levels of sekentei." The need for assistance with daily household chores was related to "low trust in community residents" and "willing to help community residents and have already done so." Finally, the need for assistance with small problems in daily life was related to "willing to help community residents and have already done so."Conclusion　The need for livelihood support was related to relationships with community residents. To promote the livelihood support system in communities, the relationships between older adults and community residents should be considered.

Objectives　The mental health condition of care staff in Japan is becoming problematic. Older assistant workers are currently being employed to assist care staff with their jobs and alleviate their job burden. This employment of older assistant workers is drawing attention; however, their influence on the job facilitating and inhibiting factors of care staff and the association with the care staff's emotional exhaustion remains unclear. In this study, we aim to examine how the employment of older care assistant workers relates to the job-facilitating and job-inhibiting factors of care staff and explore that association with the care staff's emotional exhaustion.Methods　Data from a mail survey of geriatric health services facilities with older assistant workers were analyzed. Among the answers obtained from the care staff, answers from 5,185 who reported working in facilities that employ older assistant workers (over the age of 60) were analyzed. The Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Japanese Version of the Burnout Questionnaire was used as the dependent variable. The change in job-facilitating and job-inhibiting factors of care staff due to the employment of older assistant workers (improve, maintain/exacerbate) was explored for nine contents.Results　Care staff reported a decrease in the total volume of the task (63.6%), less stress during daily tasks (39.8%), and more concentration on the tasks that require expert care knowledge (38.0%). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the emotional exhaustion score of care staff was low when the total volume of tasks decreased (β=－0.383, 95%CI=－0.719, －0.047), when less stress was perceived during daily tasks (β=－0.432, 95%CI=－0.796, －0.068), when concentration on tasks that required expert care knowledge increased (β=－0.574, 95%CI=－0.937, －0.210), and when human relationships among staff improved (β=－0.871, 95%CI=－1.263, －0.480). Conversely, an increase in tasks requiring work with regional personnel and organizations (β=0.800, 95%CI=0.162, 1.437) was associated with a high emotional exhaustion score.Conclusion　The employment of older care workers was related to the job-facilitating or job-inhibiting factors of care staff, and the change in these factors was associated with lower emotional exhaustion. The employment of older personnel may lower the risk of burnout among care staff.

Objectives　To support care workers, some care facilities employ older individuals as care assistants for peripheral, non-professional tasks. However, the size of the facilities influences their employment needs and support systems for older care workers. Therefore, this study examined the rationale for employing older assistant care workers; the challenges they face; educational systems; and the efforts to facilitate continued employment based on facility size.Methods　Initially, a fax survey was conducted with 3,591 facilities associated with the National Association of Geriatric Health Services Facilities to determine the proportion of older assistant care workers employed. Thereafter, a questionnaire survey was administered to gather more information. Out of 3,591 facilities, 2,170 responded to the survey, and 1,261 responded to the questionnaire. In this study, care assistants aged ≥60 years were classified as older care assistants. The facilities were categorized based on admission capacity into two groups: "small/medium facilities" (≤99 residents) and "large facilities" (≥100 residents). A chi-square test was conducted for data analysis.Results　Of the all geriatric health services facilities, 31.7% employed older assistant care workers. Moreover, the questionnaire survey responses showed they are employed by 687 facilities. Further analysis revealed that larger facilities employed a higher number of older care assistants than small/medium facilities. Small/medium facilities tended to have fewer training systems for older care assistants than larger facilities (30.0% for small/medium facilities vs. 21.6% for large facilities; P=0.014). Furthermore, the work of older care assistants in small/medium facilities was more susceptible to family circumstances than those in larger facilities (15.7% for small/medium facilities vs. 10.2% for large facilities; P=0.033). Compared to small/medium facilities, larger facilities were more likely to state that their employment objective was to reduce the risk of care accidents (19.8% for small/medium facilities vs. 26.3% for large facilities; P=0.046) and provide psychological support, such as periodic interviews, to older care workers to ensure continued employment (24.1% for small/medium facilities vs. for large facilities 37.3%; P<0.001).Conclusion　Larger facilities employeda higher number of older care assistants than small/medium facilities. Furthermore, small/medium facilities were less likely to provide psychological support and had a less structured training system, compared to larger facilities. Additionally, the work of older care assistants in small/medium facilities was more susceptible to family circumstances and other factors, which could affect their work performance. Thus, developing adequate support systems in small/medium facilities is crucial to promoting the employment of older care assistants.