Top > Corporate Social Responsibility > Feature Benesse's Commitment > Nursing Care
In line with the “live well” philosophy embodied in Benesse's company name is the idea that society should allow people to spend their later years in enjoyment that increases with each passing year. This is one of the objectives that led Benesse to enter the nursing care business. By developing the sort of services that we would desire for ourselves and for our relatives, we have created a nursing business that provides a high quality of life for senior citizens and their families.
The Nursing Care Business was Launched in Conjunction with the Company's Adoption of the Benesse Name
Benesse was motivated to enter the nursing care business based on the experience of current Chairman Soichiro Fukutake in trying to arrange nursing care for his grandmother. During the late 1980s, a large gap developed between the level of service provided by public nursing services and the needs of Japanese citizens. It became increasingly difficult for seniors and their families to obtain the level of service they desired. In response, Benesse launched a nursing care business under the motto “nursing services that truly serve the customer.”
In 1995, when the company adopted the Benesse corporate name, it also launched the Home Helper Level-Two Training Course, a training course for caregivers. In this way, the Company took an important step forward in living up to the meaning of its new name, by helping people to “live well.”
Providing High Quality Nursing Care to Better Serve Senior Citizens
Prior to 2000, when the Long-term Care Insurance Law went into effect, there was an extremely strong need for nursing care services that included home visits. However, after considering the sort of nursing care services best aligned with its corporate philosophy, Benesse decided to develop its own type of nursing care business, concentrating on the operation of live-in nursing care facilities. Compared with services that provide nursing care at the patient's home, a live-in facility receives a smaller share of its income from reimbursements through the insurance system. Care facilities have more direct contact with the residents, and therefore can provide a much higher level of quality and service, a much better match for the Benesse philosophy.
In addition, Benesse decided to concentrate on setting up care facilities in residential neighborhoods, which allows the nursing care center to serve as just an extension of each resident's daily life. Unlike many “isolated” nursing homes, Benesse facilities allow family members to drop in at their convenience, and visit their relatives 24 hours a day. The Company has established over 100 new facilities since 1997, most of them located in residential neighborhoods of large cities. Benesse is always seeking ways to place the needs of the customer first. For example, when a new resident enters the facility, Benesse staff consults with each resident and their family members to design a “lifestyle plan”* that meets their needs and interests. In recent years, as more senior citizens show an interest in living an independent life in their final years rather than depending on daily care from members of their family, Benesse facilities have enjoyed very high occupancy rates.
* A care service plan outlining the services needed for those for whom residential care has been deemed necessary, drawn up according to the physical and mental status of the patient, welfare benefits, and the wishes of the patient and their family.
Improving the Quality of Life for Residents, Family Members, and Caregivers Alike
Benesse wants to make sure that caregivers can enjoy the same high quality of life that they help residents to achieve. To that end, the Company revised its personnel structure and training system in 2008, seeking to re-design work activities in ways that help maximize the amount of added value that caregivers can contribute, and allocate work not directly connected to the residents'care to other workers. This is expected to reduce employee turnover significantly, which not only will mean that caregivers tend to have more experience and skill, but also should provide a greater sense of stability and security to residents. Benesse hopes that these changes will serve as an example to promote change in the industry as a whole. In this way, the Company is improving the quality of life for everyone involved with the nursing care business.
Number of Years of Continuous Employment for Employees at Nursing Care Facilities
* Data based on “Survey of nursing care facility workers” (2008), by the Care Work Foundation
VOICE: From the frontline
Shinya Takiyama
Corporate Executive Officer, Director, Human Capital Department, Benesse Style Care Co., Ltd.
Creating an Environment Where Energetic, Motivated Employees Can Work for Many Years
The nursing care business has acquired the image of being a difficult, exhausting place to work. However, this work can be quite rewarding for people who use their creativity to provide individual value to residents and their families, and thus help to provide a comfortable living environment for the elderly. In order to attract this type of energetic employee, and provide them with a working environment where they can enjoy working for many years to come, the Company has taken steps to reform its personnel structure and training system. In the two years since the changes were introduced, the employee turnover ratio has improved by approx.15 percentage points. In fiscal 2009, the Company will hire over 300 newly hired employees, as well as offering nursing care training programs to students at nursing-related schools. In this way, Benesse hopes to give an increasing number of young people the chance to experience the rewards of working in the nursing care business.
