老老介護（Elderly caring for the elderly）

老々介護とは？

老老介護（ろうろうかいご）とは、高齢者（おおむね65歳以上）の夫婦や親子などが、お互いに介護をする状況を指します。特に、75歳以上の後期高齢者が介護を担う「超老々介護」も増えています。
ここでは、そんな老々介護をAIを利用して風刺画にしてみました。

特徴

介護する側も高齢者で体力が低下 → 介護負担が大きい
夫婦・親子など、身近な人が介護を担う
介護する人自身も病気や認知症のリスクがある
外部の支援を受けにくいケースが多い

老々介護が増えている理由

少子高齢化の進行

若い世代が減少し、介護を担う家族が少なくなっている
介護施設や介護士の数が追いついていない

平均寿命の延びと核家族化

長生きする人が増え、親子ともに高齢者となるケースが増加
昔のように三世代同居が少なくなり、夫婦だけで暮らす家庭が多い

公的介護サービスの不足

介護施設は費用が高く、入所待ちも多い
訪問介護などのサービスを十分に利用できない場合もある

老々介護の主な問題点

介護者の健康リスク

高齢者が無理をして介護し、自分も病気や怪我をする
腰痛や疲労の蓄積で介護する側も動けなくなる
介護者自身が認知症になるケースも

経済的負担

介護施設や訪問介護の費用がかかる
介護のために仕事を辞め、収入が減る
年金や貯金だけでは生活が厳しくなることも

介護うつ・孤立

介護が長期間続くと、精神的に追い詰められる
相談相手がいないとストレスが蓄積し、「介護うつ」になる
社会との関わりが減り、孤立する高齢者も増えている

介護虐待のリスク

介護のストレスが限界を超えると、暴力や暴言が発生することも
「介護疲れ」による心中や事件も問題視されている

老々介護の解決策

公的介護サービスを活用する

「介護保険サービス」を利用する

訪問介護（ヘルパー）
デイサービス（通所介護）
ショートステイ（短期間の施設利用）
特養（特別養護老人ホーム）など

地域包括支援センターに相談する

介護の悩みを相談できる
介護保険の手続きや支援を紹介してもらえる

介護負担を分散させる

家族や親戚と協力する

一人で抱え込まず、兄弟・親族と分担する
遠方の家族も、定期的な訪問や金銭的サポートができる

地域のボランティア・支援団体を活用する

「認知症カフェ」や「介護者の会」など、交流の場を利用する

介護者自身の健康管理

✅ 無理をしすぎず、適度に休む
✅ リフレッシュの時間を持つ（趣味や運動）
✅ 心のケア（カウンセリング・相談窓口を利用）

老々介護を社会全体で支える必要がある
老々介護は、個人の努力だけでは解決できない社会問題です。
今後は、公的支援の充実、介護サービスの拡充、家族や地域の協力が重要になります。

「一人で抱え込まず、支援を受ける」ことが、介護者と被介護者の双方にとって大切です。

Rouro-kaigo (elderly care) refers to a situation in which elderly couples (generally 65 years of age or older), parents and children, and others provide care for each other. In particular, “super-elderly nursing care,” in which elderly people aged 75 or older take on the responsibility of nursing care, is on the rise.
Here, we have created a caricature of such elderly caregivers using AI.

Features
Caregivers are also elderly and their physical strength is declining → The burden of caregiving is heavy
Caregiving is carried out by close family members, such as husband and wife, parents and children, etc.
Caregivers themselves are at risk of illness or dementia
In many cases, it is difficult to receive outside support

Reasons for the increasing number of elderly caregivers
Aging society with fewer children
Fewer younger generations and fewer family members to take on the responsibility of caregiving
The number of nursing homes and caregivers has not kept pace

Increasing average life expectancy and the nuclear family
More people are living longer, and more parents and children are becoming elderly
Fewer families with three generations living together as in the past, and many families have only married couples living together.

Lack of public nursing care services
Nursing homes are expensive and there is a long waiting list for admission.
In some cases, services such as home-visit nursing care are not sufficiently available.

Main problems of caregiving for the elderly
Health risks for caregivers
Elderly caregivers strain themselves and become ill or injured themselves
Caregivers become immobile due to back pain and fatigue
In some cases, the caregivers themselves may develop dementia

Economic burden
Expenses for nursing home and home-visit care
Income will be reduced due to the need for caregivers to quit their jobs.
Pension and savings may be insufficient to make ends meet

Depression and isolation from caregiving
Long-term caregiving can be mentally draining
Stress builds up when there is no one to talk to, leading to “caregiver depression
Elderly people are becoming increasingly isolated due to a decrease in social interaction

Risk of Caregiver Abuse
When the stress of caregiving exceeds its limits, violence and verbal abuse may occur.
Psychological suicide and incidents due to “caregiver fatigue” are also becoming an issue.

Solutions to caregiving for the elderly
Utilize public nursing care services
Use “long-term care insurance services
Home-visit care (helper)
Day care services (day care)
Short-stay (short-term facility use)
Special nursing care (special nursing home for the elderly), etc.

Consult with the Community Comprehensive Support Center
You can consult with them about your nursing care concerns
Get referrals for long-term care insurance procedures and support

Spread the burden of caregiving
Cooperate with family and relatives
Share the burden with siblings and relatives instead of taking it on alone
Family members far away can also make regular visits and provide financial support

Utilize local volunteer and support groups
Use of social events such as “dementia cafes” and “caregivers’ groups

Caregiver’s own health care
✅ Take moderate rest without overexerting yourself
✅ Take time to refresh (hobbies, exercise)
✅ Mental care (use counseling and consultation services)

Society as a whole needs to support caregiving for the aged.
Caregiving for the aged is a social problem that cannot be solved by individual efforts alone.
In the future, enhancement of public support, expansion of nursing care services, and cooperation of families and communities will become important.

It is important for both the caregiver and the person being cared for to “receive support without being alone.

AIが描いた「老老介護」