In Japan, efforts are underway to introduce various cutting-edge techniques into nursing care. One company that is attracting attention as a pioneer in this field is Akita Sosei Management, which operates nursing care facilities in the Tohoku region’s Akita Prefecture. In the second part of this article, we spoke with the company’s representative, Seiichi Awano, about examples of how ICT tools are being used, as well as the appeal of working in rural areas of Japan.
Seiichi Awano
President of Akita Sousei Management Co. He is currently operating three corporations and five offices in Akita Prefecture. In recent years, he has attracted attention from all across Japan as a model for the employment of foreign human resources, and he has spoken an numerous seminars and other events.
Akita Sousei Management
Promotion of Digitalization
https://rin-sousei.com/forthefuture/digital
Contents:
“LINE WORKS” is a communication hub
Although operating during the period of COVID-19 was difficult, things have stabilized over the past year or two. Digitalization, centered on “LINE WORKS,” has had a major impact. For example, when new foreign talent joins the company, a LINE group is immediately created between that person, their supervisor, and other staff members. Everyone can share all kinds of information in a timely manner.
We also use “LINE WORKS” to communicate with our users’ families. Since many people have LINE accounts, it’s easy to create groups with responsible staff members, who can then share information about the users’ situations and ask their families to provide information.
Using “LINE WORKS” as a hub, we are linking various ICT tools, such as the intercom system. In addition, we use “Care Collabo,” which makes it possible to post not just text, but also photos and videos to care records, just like on social media, the “Kaigo Supplement” application to prevent those on short stays from forgetting their belongings, and an accounting system for our office staff.
All of this is aimed at facilitating smooth communication and building trust between users and staff, and between staff members themselves. For examples, users and staff members take photos and videos together on their smartphones and show them to each other. Using smartphones in this way also fosters warm relationships. Our desire to value humanity and relationships between people is at the heart of our work.
From rural areas to rural areas
I think Indonesia and Akita are a good match. The hijab that Indonesian Muslim women wear on their heads is similar to the head scarves that women from Akita used to wear to protect themselves from the cold, so our older users seem to feel a sense of affinity with it.
“Are you cold? Even though we’re in summer,” asked a user.
“I’m not cold, but I wear this for religious reasons,” replied a foreign staff member.
It was a heartwarming sigh to see them both speaking in Akita dialect.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt a difference in mentality between Japanese and Indonesian people. The Japanese staff were worried that they might get infected, but no Indonesian person said anything like that. At that time, I felt saved by the cheerfulness and smiles of our Indonesian staff.
In the past, young people from the areas surrounding the capital city of Jakarta came to Japan. Now, there is a trend of people moving to Japanese rural areas from Indonesian rural areas. In fact, some people from rural areas say that it is better to live in a less crowded place than in a crowded city. Tokyo is a place to go for fun, while the countryside is where you live and work. I have several years of experience communicating with foreign personnel, and I think that’s probably a good fit. What’s more, Akita has delicious rice, which is also a staple food in Indonesia. They all make nasi goreng and eat a lot more rice than Japanese people. Apparently, Japanese rice is quite good (laughs).
