Photo/Illutration A Vietnamese care worker helps a resident consume liquid at a special nursing home for the elderly in Yuki, Ibaraki Prefecture, in November 2022. (Atsuko Hatayama)

The labor ministry is considering expanding the scope of duties foreign caregivers can perform to offset a chronic labor shortage in the nursing care sector.

But already some experts are throwing up obstacles, citing language and cultural barriers.

An expert panel discussing the issue held its first meeting July 24 and presented three points.

The first concerns whether and how to engage foreign caregivers in home visit services. The second calls for a review of the three-year period after a business is established before it is allowed to accept technical interns. The third concerns shortening the six-month period required before technical interns can be included in the staffing standards at caregiving facilities after they start working.

The declining birthrate over many years, coupled with the rapidly aging population, is blamed for the severe labor shortage in the caregiving field.

Ministry projections call for an additional 690,000 caregivers in fiscal 2040 compared to fiscal 2019. As of fiscal 2021, the increase hovered at around 40,000.

The ministry aims to open the door to foreign workers by easing regulations to make up for the shortage.

Officials at the July 24 meeting said those engaged in caregiving facilities had expressed hopes that foreign workers will be permitted to carry out more important tasks than just offering basic care.

A separate government expert panel, which wants to abolish the technical intern system altogether, plans to compile a final report on the matter this fall.

Taking that development into account, the labor ministry intends to compile its own policy proposals by the end of the year.

Home-visit care services often involve one-on-one interactions between the users and caregivers. Foreign nationals without qualifications are prohibited from engaging in such services due to concerns about communication.

Some experts support easing restrictions for things like bathing care, which involves multiple people.

But others urge caution on the grounds that serving meals and housecleaning require an ability to properly respond to unforeseen situations.

“Considering the language barrier and Japanese culture and customs, it is still too early (to make a decision),” said one.

The deregulation measures presented at the meeting were limited in scope.

Some experts argued that radical measures are needed.

“There is global competition for foreign workers, and Japan mustn’t miss out,” one expert said.

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