Photo/Illutration Medical assistance team members transfer a resident from the special nursing home Chojuen in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the Jan. 1 earthquake, to another facility in the prefecture on Jan. 21. Part of the image is modified for privacy. (Ayaka Kibi)

Around 1,000 residents of elderly care facilities in the Noto Peninsula have been forced to relocate by the Jan. 1 earthquake, a difficult transition for both the patients and their caretakers.

According to the welfare ministry, these evacuation efforts began on Jan. 2.

Disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs) have helped transport elderly residents from 26 facilities, including special nursing homes and group homes.

About 80 percent were moved to other facilities and hospitals within Ishikawa Prefecture, while the remaining 20 percent were taken to facilities in Toyama, Fukui, Aichi and Gifu prefectures.

Discussions are also under way with facilities in Shiga and Niigata prefectures to accept elderly evacuees.

Another 17 facilities in the Noto Peninsula reportedly transferred their residents to other facilities independently.

TOUGH DECISION

At Chojuen, a special nursing home in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, that suffered damage to its building and equipment, an evacuation was proceeding on Jan. 21.

DMAT members spoke gently to the residents; “Aren’t you cold?”

“The lift will move, but don’t worry, it’s not scary.”

The residents who could sit were placed in chairs inside a vehicle, while those who could not were moved onto stretchers and carried into the vehicle.

That day 18 residents were transported by DMATs and private ambulance service teams to facilities in the southern part of the prefecture.

Originally, about 100 people lived at Chojuen, but since the disaster, they have been gradually moving to different facilities. Only some 20 residents remain.

“We can’t provide proper care for them if they stay here,” said Mitsuhiro Nakamura, 54, the head of the nursing home.

Although the building remained standing, with cracked walls, damaged sanitation facilities and no water for bathing, the staff could not maintain the hygiene of its residents.

They decided to evacuate.

“We don’t want to transfer them either,” Nakamura said. “We want to stay with them and continue to care for the people we’ve been looking after here. But that is our egotism.”

Of around 70 staff members, 19 were affected by the disaster and unable to work. Those who could work have had to commute from evacuation centers or sleep in their cars.

The nursing home hopes to reopen the facility once the water supply is restored, but when that will happen remains uncertain.

SOME FACILITIES OPTED NOT TO TRANSFER

On the other hand, some facilities have chosen not to transfer their residents.

An elderly care facility in the north of the peninsula, which houses more than 100 residents, decided to keep them in the facility despite severe damage and ongoing water outages.

It cited several obstacles, including trouble finding facilities willing to accept so many residents and the difficulties of coordinating their transport.

It also pointed out the physical toll of moving these patients and concerns about whether important care and medication information would be relayed to the new facilities.

Relocation itself can be a burden for the elderly, and adapting to new environments can also be challenging.

Facilities are struggling to make these decisions.

However, with the prolonged water outages and other challenges, transfers from care facilities and evacuation centers may have to continue.

PROVIDING CLOSE CARE

The facilities accepting these elderly evacuees are also looking for ways to provide them close, compassionate care despite the unfamiliar environment.

“I feel lonely in an unfamiliar place. At 98 years of age, I never thought I’d experience this,” said Kikui Nizami, who had been staying at an elderly care facility in Suzu.

She is now living at Kaigo Rojin Hoken Shisetsu Santa Maria, an elderly care center in Nagoya.

She was transferred by a Self-Defense Forces helicopter to Nagoya Airport on Jan. 11. After being taken to a hospital, she was moved to the facility on Jan. 19.

Although she uses a wheelchair, she is able to eat on her own and the state of her health is stable.

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