在宅医療

• Reading: ざいたくいりょう
• Romaji: zaitaku iryou
• Kanji breakdown: 在 (zai) — exist, be present; 宅 (taku) — home, residence; 医 (i) — medicine, doctor; 療 (ryō) — treatment, cure
• Pronunciation: /za.i.ta.kɯ i.ɾʲoː/

Meaning

Home medical care; healthcare services provided at a patient's home rather than in a hospital or clinic.

An increasingly important concept in Japan given its rapidly ageing population. Encompasses visiting doctors (往診), home nursing (訪問看護), home rehabilitation (訪問リハビリ), and home palliative care. Government policy actively promotes 在宅医療 as an alternative to hospital stays, and many patients express a preference for 在宅死 (dying at home) over dying in hospital.

Examples

1. 父は病院ではなく自宅で療養したいと希望し、在宅医療に切り替えた。 My father wanted to recover at home rather than in a hospital, so we switched to home medical care.
2. 超高齢社会を迎えた日本では、在宅医療の充実が急務となっている。 As Japan enters a super-aging society, expanding home medical care has become an urgent priority.
3. 在宅医療では、医師や看護師が定期的に自宅を訪問してくれる。 With home medical care, doctors and nurses regularly make house calls.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, elderly care, palliative care, home nursing, health policy

Tone: formal

Origin & History

Compound of 在宅 (zaitaku, being at home) and 医療 (iryō, medical treatment). Together they describe the delivery of medical care within the patient's home environment.

Cultural Context

Era: Contemporary

Generation: Adults

Social background: General