Category: Care

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 28, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Disability Japan

Staff Member at Oita Disability Support Facility Dismissed for Assaulting Two Residents

The victim sustained minor injuries to his face, but the facility initially treated the incident as an accident. During the subsequent investigation, it was also discovered that the same employee had assaulted another man in his 20s who attended the facility as a day user. The employee denied both allegations of assault. However, based on interviews with other staff members and other findings, the facility concluded that abuse had occurred and dismissed him as a disciplinary measure in July.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 21, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Disability Japan Podcast Welfare

Kyoto Man with Disabilities Left Alone for 2½ Hours While Caregiver Played Pachinko [Podcast Episode]

It was learned on the 19th that, in February this year in Kyoto City, a male home-care worker who was assisting a man with severe physical and intellectual disabilities and who lived alone left the man’s home for about two and a half hours in order to play pachinko. In April, the city officially recognized the incident as abuse under the Act on the Prevention of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities. Calling it “an issue involving the man’s life and safety,” the city also ordered the home-care service provider employing the caregiver to take measures to prevent a recurrence and make other improvements.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 19, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Disability Japan Welfare

Mother Talks About Facing the ‘18-Year-Old Wall’ with a Child with Disabilities

The “18-Year-Old Wall” refers to a phenomenon where the governing legislation for receiving welfare services shifts at age 18 from the Child Welfare Act to the Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act. Because of this legal switch, individuals are often unable to access the same services they received prior to turning 18, creating significant disruption in daily life for both the individual and their family.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 14, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Crime Disability Hokkaido Japan

Prosecutors seek 18 months for ex Kushiro care worker accused of assaulting 4 residents

The defendant, 29-year-old Kai Takahashi, a former employee of the Kushiro disability support facility Tsurugaoka Gakuen, is accused of assaulting four residents by kicking them around the waist and face and slapping them in the face, among other acts, up until March 2026. One of the victims was a 58-year-old male resident at the time.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 12, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Disability Japan Welfare

Oita’s people with disabilities voice concerns as care providers close amid helper shortage

As a shortage of helpers supporting the daily lives of people with disabilities becomes increasingly severe, an emergency public meeting was held in Oita on August 11th, where supporters and others voiced their concerns over the difficult situation. According to the organizers, since the revision of long-term care service fees in 2024, service providers have been withdrawing from the sector and suspending services one after another. The groups said they plan to call on the national government to improve working conditions and take other measures to address the problem.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 5, 2026 Number of comments0
Care Disability Intellectual disabilities Japan

85% of Families of People with Disabilities in Japan Express Concern Over ‘after the parents are gone’ Issue

According to a 2025 survey conducted by the Nippon Foundation of 2,500 people with family members who have disabilities, 85.5 percent said they felt anxious about what would happen after the parents of a person with disabilities were no longer able to provide care, the TBS TV programme ‘Newsdig’ reported on August 3rd. Among families with members who have severe intellectual disabilities, nearly every household reported having such concerns.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 4, 2026 1
Care Disability Group Homes (GH) Japan Welfare

More than 20,000 People with Disabilities in Japan Waiting for Care Facilities Across 30 Prefectures; Government Lacks Comprehensive Data

At least 20,000 people with disabilities across 30 prefectures are waiting to enter residential care facilities or group homes (GHs) despite wishing to use them, a nationwide survey by Kyodo News found on Aug. 2. Seventeen prefectures said they either did not track waiting lists or did not disclose the figures, citing reasons such as the lack of a standardized method for compiling the data.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 31, 2026 1
Abuse Care Disability Japan Nursing Care

Sakai District Court Rules Dismissal of Whistleblower Nurse at Disability Facility Invalid

A nurse who worked at a disability support facility in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, filed a lawsuit claiming it was unlawful for the facility to dismiss them after they made a public-interest whistleblower report about problems at the facility. The Sakai branch of the Osaka District Court ruled that the dismissal was invalid, finding that it was intended to remove the nurse from the workplace, and ordered the facility to pay unpaid wages and damages. The court ordered the facility to pay the three plaintiffs a total of more than ¥20 million in unpaid wages, damages, and other compensation.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 27, 2026 Number of comments0
Abuse Care Disability Japan Megumi Corporation Podcast

Okazaki City Sanctions Disability Facility Over Abuse; Facility Ran by Successor Company to “Megumi” [Podcast Episode]

The facility is operated by Innovel Healthcare (Midori Ward, Nagoya City), which took over the operations in March 2025 from “Megumi”, a major group home operator whose license was revoked in 2024 due to issues such as overcharging for food expenses. According to the city, staff members engaged in physical violence against residents, including kicking them, and made threatening statements such as “Do it properly.” The city determined these actions constituted physical and psychological abuse.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 25, 2026 1
Abuse Care Disability Japan Megumi Corporation

Okazaki City Sanctions Disability Facility Over Abuse; Facility Ran by Successor Company to “Megumi”

The facility is operated by Innovel Healthcare (Midori Ward, Nagoya City), which took over the operations in March 2025 from “Megumi”, a major group home operator whose license was revoked in 2024 due to issues such as overcharging for food expenses. According to the city, staff members engaged in physical violence against residents, including kicking them, and made threatening statements such as “Do it properly.” The city determined these actions constituted physical and psychological abuse.