IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Nursing care, provided in home, community, or institutional settings such as nursing homes, encompasses both medical and personal non-medical care for individuals who are unable to perform activities of daily living, such as cooking or bathing. In Japan, approximately 18% of people aged 65 and over require long-term care. Although long-term care insurance exists in Japan, there are also out-of-pocket costs that families must bear. This study investigates whether income and other attributes of the household and household head impact transportation-related expenses. We analyze data from Japan’s household income and expenditure survey to confirm the transportation gap between households with and without individuals requiring long-term care. Using data from over 30,000 households, including 2,700 households with and without a person requiring long-term care, we compare expenses related to goods and services, transportation, and communication, including automobile, railway, bus, and taxi costs, employing Tobit and sample selection models that account for relevant household and household head attributes. Our findings indicate that households with a person requiring nursing care have about 7% less income and car ownership. Additionally, there is no significant difference in transportation and communication, and public transport expenses, after controlling for income and car ownership. Furthermore, households with a person requiring nursing care spend more on taxis and less on trains. The expense on gasoline was also lower for these households.