[Sendai] Ainomi Secures 10 Medical Beds, Launching Overnight Medical Short-Stay Services to Provide Families with a Long-Awaited 'Overnight Care Option'.

Social Welfare Corporation Ainomi has received approval and usage permits for 10 general clinical beds at 'Ainomi Clinic' from Miyagi Prefecture and Sendai City. Consequently, 'Short-term Stay Ainomi Strawberry' began offering overnight medical short-term stay services starting April 2026. A new regional infrastructure to support the home life of medically dependent children and adults and their families has begun operations.

### What Changes for Families For families supporting children or adults at home who require daily medical care such as ventilators, suctioning, tube feeding, and oxygen management, securing time for rest is a constant challenge. Overnight short-stays are not just for temporary care; they are a vital foundation for caregiver respite, emergency preparedness, sibling support, and the continuation of home-based life.

'Ainomi Strawberry' was established in April 2023 as a medical short-stay facility and has been accumulating experience through daytime usage. Now, by securing clinical beds, overnight use has become possible. For the time being, it will operate on a limited basis—once or twice a month on specific days—prioritizing safety through a phased rollout with small groups.

### Why It Is Needed Now According to Miyagi Prefecture's 'Survey Results on the Status of Medically Dependent Children,' there are 886 such individuals in the prefecture as of FY2025. However, as of December 2024, the number of available beds for medical short-term stays in Miyagi was only 30. Of these, 17 were 'utilization of vacant hospital beds,' which are easily affected by inpatient status, making planned use difficult.

A corporate survey also showed that 100% of the 49 valid respondents desired the use of overnight short-stay services.

### Significance of Ainomi Carrying 10 of Miyagi's 44 Beds In the latest statistics, there are 44 beds for medical short-term stays in Miyagi Prefecture. Among these, 'Ainomi Strawberry' accounts for 10 standalone beds, representing approximately 22.7% of the current 44 beds. Of the 14 beds added since December 2024, Ainomi's 10 beds account for about 71.4% of the increase.

Furthermore, 'Ainomi Strawberry' is recognized as a facility capable of handling various medical care needs—including ventilators, tracheostomies, oxygen use, sputum suctioning, and tube feeding—for patients ranging from children to adults. In a region where options are often limited by age or medical dependency, the addition of a 10-bed standalone hub is significant.

### Process to Realization This overnight function was not achieved through the expansion of welfare services alone. It is a system that secures 'beds' under the Medical Care Act and uses that equipment to provide 'medical short-term stays' under the Act on Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities. This was a high-difficulty initiative requiring coordination and understanding of both medical and welfare systems.

Ainomi proceeded with the bed installation after consulting with relevant medical associations, the Regional Medical Coordination Meeting, and applying to Miyagi Prefecture. Following a consultation request on July 7, 2025, Ainomi received notice of approval from Miyagi Prefecture on January 8, 2026, for '10 general beds (10 chronic care beds)' as requested. Subsequently, following an application on March 12, 2026, a notification of clinic usage permit was issued by the Director of the Sendai City Health Center on March 26, 2026.

### Social Significance in the Context of Bed Policies Recent medical policies are not focused on increasing beds indefinitely but on functional differentiation and coordination based on regional medical visions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare explicitly states that the promotion of regional medical visions is 'not about reducing or consolidating beds.' Miyagi Prefecture's public data also shows that the required number of beds for the Sendai medical area in 2025 is 2,505 for chronic care.

In this context, Ainomi's 10 beds are not just an increase in numbers. They serve as a recipient for regional issues like short-term stays for medically dependent individuals, which are hard to capture within existing categories. It contributes to avoiding unnecessary long-term hospitalization, strengthening home support, and effectively utilizing regional medical resources, holding the potential to become a new regional support model through the coordination of medical and welfare services.

Social Welfare Corporation Ainomi will continue to develop overnight medical short-stays into a choice that can actually be used when needed, supporting the lives of medically dependent individuals and their families as a foundation for respite, emergency response, and the continuation of home life.

### About Ainomi Clinic Ainomi Clinic is recruiting doctors. Please contact us for details regarding work formats. (Social Welfare Corporation Ainomi Head Office: 022-785-9440)