Elderly in Japan choose to die at home due to unavailability of hospital beds

TOKYO: People in Japan are on the verge of death. 

With no beds to accommodate the ailing patients in the country, people are deciding to spend the last days of life at home in peace.

Something similar happened to Katsuo Saito. Diagnosed with Leukemia in July, Saito chose to stay at home rather getting treated for the disease at a hospital.

“There are about 20 people on the waiting lists,” Saito, 89, said.

Many Japanese believe that being admitted to the hospital is safer, also because they do not want to burden their family members.

After finally getting admitted in September 2017, Saito died only two days after.

The hospital bed to patient ratio in Japan has fallen drastically over the past. 

Although one in four people in Japan is above the age of 65, health officials predict a shortfall of more than 470,000 hospital beds by 2030.

“I think it’s good to have a doctor supporting people who choose to spend their final days, and naturally face death, in a place they spent their days living,” shared doctor Yuu Yasui.

Yasuhiro, diagnosed with lung cancer, also died at his residence. With no family and friends to look after him, the only people accompanying him during his last days were doctors and the rest of the paramedical staff.