Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To reveal what kinds of accidents happen associated with bathing in home care services for the aged in Japan. METHODS: The study was cross-sectional in design. In November 1999, a postal questionnaire survey was conducted of 828 councils selected from the list of the National Council of Social Welfare of Japan by a systematic sampling method (extraction rate was 25%). The main outcome measures were characteristics of cases of accidents associated with bathing service for the aged, including patient age, sex, time of occurrence, symptoms, and results of accidents. RESULTS: Replies were received from 683 (82%) councils. Of the councils that replied, 430 (63%) reported providing bathing service for the aged. Of these 430 councils, 108 (25%) have experienced accidents, and 130 cases were analyzed. Affected patients had a mean age of 80.7 years (SD: 9.0 years), and 71 were females (55%). Sixty-two (48%) had symptoms of a disease or had accidents after bathing, and 42 (32%) presented with loss of consciousness. In results of accidents, 14 (11%) were reported to have died. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that there were not a few accidents associated with bathing in home care services for the aged in Japan, the most frequent symptom was loss of consciousness, most accidents occurred after bathing, and that some patients died as a result of bathing provided by home care services.