Nurses' Personality and Response Are the Deciding Factors in Choosing Home Nursing Care; Approximately 22% of Users Feel 'Little to No Sense of Time and Ease'

■ Survey on the Sense of Security When Using Home Nursing Services

In Japan's aging society, more people are hoping to receive medical care in the comfort of their own homes. Home nursing care has become an essential option for supporting life after hospital discharge and home recuperation.

However, many people wonder what to prioritize when actually choosing a service. In reality, a nurse's sense of composure and how busy they are with paperwork significantly impact the user's sense of security.

In light of this, we conducted a joint survey with Visikan on the "sense of security when using home nursing services," targeting 68 men and women nationwide who indicated in a pre-survey that they or their family members have experience using home nursing care.

Overview of the "Survey on Sense of Security When Using Home Nursing Services"
Survey Method: Online survey
Survey Period: May 1 to May 11, 2026
Target Audience: Men and women nationwide who answered "I or my family have used home nursing care" in the pre-survey
Valid Responses: 68 samples
Questions:
Q1: What was the most important point for you when using home nursing care?
Q2: Please tell us the reason.
Q3: Have you ever felt that the home nursing staff had the "time and ease to attend to you"?
Q4: Please tell us why you felt that way.
Q5: Have you ever seen a nurse looking busy with administrative tasks?
Q6: How did you feel about that?
*Because percentages are generally rounded to the first decimal place, the total may not equal 100%.

■ 36.8% say the most important factor in home nursing care is "nurse's response and personality"

First, we asked what point was prioritized the most when utilizing home nursing care.
The most common answer was the "nurse's response and personality" at 36.8%.
This was followed by "cost" at 16.2%, while "visit frequency" and "flexibility in response" both tied at 8.8%.

Home nursing is a service where nurses are welcomed into the private space of one's home.
Therefore, it is evident that not only the medical support provided but also compatibility and the nurse's personality serve as major deciding factors.
Here are some of the reasons given for the responses.

Those who answered "Nurse's response and personality"
- "It's better to have someone who treats you compassionately." (Female, 50s)
- "Since they are coming into my house, I don't want a nurse who lacks trust and credibility." (Female, 40s)
- "Even though different people came every day, I was impressed that the whole team unified the nursing content and treated me kindly. It also relieved my anxiety." (Male, 80s)

Those who answered "Cost"
- "Because I also worry about the burden on other family members." (Male, 60s)
- "Because whether it was an amount we could pay was important." (Female, 70s)
- "To prevent home care from making everyday living financially impossible." (Female, 20s)

Those who answered "Flexibility in response"
- "Because I think it is the most necessary thing." (Female, 60s)
- "Because I wanted to prioritize being able to accommodate the patient's (mother's) feelings and requests." (Male, 60s)
- "Whether it will be beneficial for the person themselves." (Male, 70s)

Many words related to human interaction, such as "compatibility," "trust," and "compassion" were mentioned.
It appears that in home nursing care, the daily interactions with nurses serve as emotional support for users, just as much as the medical procedures. Ultimately, whether someone feels "I want to entrust things to this person" may be the core axis of choosing a service.

■ 77.9% felt the home nursing staff had "time and ease to attend to them"

Next, we asked if they had ever felt that the home nursing staff had the "time and ease to attend to them."
As a result, 27.9% answered "always feel it" and 50.0% answered "sometimes feel it," meaning a combined 77.9% have experienced a sense of unhurried care from the staff.

On the other hand, 19.1% answered "rarely feel it" and 2.9% answered "never feel it," showing that a total of 22.0% do not feel a sense of ease in the staff's response.
How should we interpret the reality that roughly 1 in 4 people answer that they "do not feel a sense of ease"?
We asked for the specific reasons why they felt that way, and here are a few examples.

Those who answered "Always feel it" or "Sometimes feel it"
- "Because they always interacted with a smile." (Female, 60s)
- "Because they handle things in a calm atmosphere, without a rushed or hurried tone and attitude." (Female, 40s)
- "They took their time to listen to me without rushing." (Female, 50s)
- "Their interaction with the patient is extremely polite and thoroughly considerate." (Male, 80s)
- "Because when doing something, they explained things and listened to my concerns." (Female, 20s)

Those who answered "Rarely feel it" or "Never feel it"
- "There were many times I felt they were pressed for time and couldn't provide meticulous care." (Male, 70s)
- "Because they seem to be working frantically to finish within the allotted time." (Male, 50s)
- "Because I don't sense any spare time during periods like winter." (Male, 60s)

While there are positive comments like "always a smile" and "calm atmosphere," there were also voices feeling they are "pressed for time."
For users, this "ease" seems to be perceived through minor behaviors, such as the nurse's tone of voice, facial expressions, and whether they take adequate time for explanations and consultations. Whether the nurses have temporal and mental breathing room is a factor directly linked to the users' peace of mind.

■ 48.5% answered they have "seen" nurses looking busy with administrative tasks

Finally, we asked if they had ever seen a nurse looking busy with administrative work.
As a result, 13.2% answered "often" and 35.3% answered "sometimes," meaning a total of 48.5% felt the nurses were busy with administrative tasks. Conversely, 33.8% said "rarely" and 17.6% said "never."
The result is that approximately half of the users have witnessed nurses burdened by administrative tasks separate from the actual nursing care.

We asked those who had seen this how they felt about it. Here is an excerpt.

How did you feel about that?
- "I know they have to keep records in addition to nursing, but I always think it looks tough." (Male, 60s)
- "Writing charts and record-keeping is important, but I want them to focus primarily on care." (Male, 50s)
- "I see it as a shortage of staff." (Male, 70s)
- "I worry that being swamped with paperwork might lead to neglecting the essential task of observing the patient." (Male, 50s)