From Yamaguchi Prefecture | Overturning the 'It won't change anyway' mindset in nursing care settings
TRAPE Co., Ltd., which has led reforms in the nursing care sector since 2017, provided productivity improvement support to three model nursing care facilities in Yamaguchi Prefecture. This was done as a business advisor to the Yamaguchi Prefecture Nursing Care Productivity Improvement Comprehensive Consultation Center, utilizing its free online tool "Productivity Improvement-kun®" and hands-on support service "Sociwell." The initiative successfully improved information sharing for foreign staff and standardized excretion care, leading to enhanced operational efficiency and job satisfaction.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 07:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 22:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 04:15 (5h 43m after Collected)
TRAPE Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President & CEO: Hiroaki Kamata), which has been involved in national policy-making for productivity improvement guidelines in nursing care settings and has led reforms in the nursing care sector since 2017, aims to realize nursing care facilities overflowing with well-being. While providing the free online tool "Productivity Improvement-kun®" and developing the hands-on support service "Sociwell," which simultaneously achieves "productivity improvement," "job satisfaction improvement," and "leader development" essential for on-site operational improvement and DX, the company was commissioned as a business advisor for the Yamaguchi Prefecture Nursing Care Productivity Improvement Comprehensive Consultation Center (commissioned by Yamaguchi Prefecture from the Yamaguchi Branch of the Japan Care Work Stabilization Center) for the fiscal year Reiwa 7 (2025). In this role, TRAPE provided hands-on support to three model nursing care facilities undertaking productivity improvement initiatives within Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Challenges in nursing care personnel and productivity improvement in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture is experiencing an aging population ahead of the national average, with further increases in the elderly population ratio expected. Meanwhile, the working-age population is decreasing, leading to a severe shortage of personnel in nursing care settings. It is estimated that approximately 2,700 nursing care personnel will be in short supply by 2026.
If this situation continues, the burden on nursing care sites will further increase, raising concerns about a decline in service quality and even greater difficulty in securing human resources.
Under these circumstances, efforts to improve operations and enhance productivity are indispensable to maintain and improve high-quality nursing care services with limited personnel.
What is the Yamaguchi Prefecture Nursing Care Productivity Improvement Comprehensive Consultation Center?
The Yamaguchi Prefecture Nursing Care Productivity Improvement Comprehensive Consultation Center is a support hub established to solve challenges in nursing care settings, such as personnel shortages, workload, and technology utilization.
It provides integrated support for nursing care facilities' productivity improvement, from consultation and hands-on assistance to human resource development.
This fiscal year, as a business advisor to the Japan Care Work Stabilization Center, the commissioning body, our company has supported productivity improvement in Yamaguchi Prefecture through the following initiatives:
- Back-end support for consultations received by the center
- Dissemination and awareness-raising throughout the prefecture as a lecturer for seminars and training sessions
- Hands-on support for nursing care facilities
- Participation in innovation meetings
Initiatives at Model Facilities
Initiatives at Social Welfare Corporation Life Care Takasago, Special Nursing Home Life Care Takasago
Theme: Information sharing initiatives considered from the perspective of foreign staff
Challenges before the initiative
- Workload was concentrated on experienced and veteran staff.
- It was recognized as a challenge that there were many foreign staff and inexperienced staff on site.
Overview of the initiative
- A foreign project leader, based on their own experience, considered how to share information in an easy-to-understand manner for foreign staff and established standards and rules.
- Changed the information sharing tool from handwritten notebooks to an application.
- Established an environment where foreign staff can understand the content themselves by utilizing translation functions.
Results (partial listing)
- 93% of staff felt that information sharing became clearer after reviewing the information sharing system.
- 100% of foreign staff responded that information became easier to understand by utilizing translation functions.
- 93% of staff responded that they could utilize the shared information in their daily care.
Through these initiatives, the information barrier between Japanese and foreign staff was resolved, and 100% of staff responded that communication within the workplace improved.
- Both Japanese and foreign staff came to understand care methods and information.
- Shared information could be utilized in daily care.
- Foreign staff understood the meaning of care and could work with confidence.
As a result, the workplace atmosphere improved.
Voices from leaders and staff
- Previously, I thought about "how to proceed with new initiatives," but now I think about "how to make it easier for staff to work."
- Seeing foreign staff actively trying to understand information using translation functions made me realize the significance of the initiative.
- Previously, I relied on Japanese staff during night shifts, but now I can input information myself and work with peace of mind.
Initiatives at Medical Corporation Aikawa Clinic, Nursing Home for the Elderly AiAi Yamaguchi
Theme: Team building through standardization of excretion care, thinking and working together
Challenges before the initiative
- There was a strong sense that "difficult care must be done alone," making it difficult to ask for help when in trouble.
- Excretion care was performed differently by each staff member, and innovations and success stories were not shared.
- There were no opportunities for discussions about users or care, making it difficult for opinions to emerge from the field.
Overview of the initiative
- Created excretion care procedures reflecting on-site concerns and innovations.
- Established rules for calling for support when it is difficult to handle alone.
- Intercom
Challenges in nursing care personnel and productivity improvement in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture is experiencing an aging population ahead of the national average, with further increases in the elderly population ratio expected. Meanwhile, the working-age population is decreasing, leading to a severe shortage of personnel in nursing care settings. It is estimated that approximately 2,700 nursing care personnel will be in short supply by 2026.
If this situation continues, the burden on nursing care sites will further increase, raising concerns about a decline in service quality and even greater difficulty in securing human resources.
Under these circumstances, efforts to improve operations and enhance productivity are indispensable to maintain and improve high-quality nursing care services with limited personnel.
What is the Yamaguchi Prefecture Nursing Care Productivity Improvement Comprehensive Consultation Center?
The Yamaguchi Prefecture Nursing Care Productivity Improvement Comprehensive Consultation Center is a support hub established to solve challenges in nursing care settings, such as personnel shortages, workload, and technology utilization.
It provides integrated support for nursing care facilities' productivity improvement, from consultation and hands-on assistance to human resource development.
This fiscal year, as a business advisor to the Japan Care Work Stabilization Center, the commissioning body, our company has supported productivity improvement in Yamaguchi Prefecture through the following initiatives:
- Back-end support for consultations received by the center
- Dissemination and awareness-raising throughout the prefecture as a lecturer for seminars and training sessions
- Hands-on support for nursing care facilities
- Participation in innovation meetings
Initiatives at Model Facilities
Initiatives at Social Welfare Corporation Life Care Takasago, Special Nursing Home Life Care Takasago
Theme: Information sharing initiatives considered from the perspective of foreign staff
Challenges before the initiative
- Workload was concentrated on experienced and veteran staff.
- It was recognized as a challenge that there were many foreign staff and inexperienced staff on site.
Overview of the initiative
- A foreign project leader, based on their own experience, considered how to share information in an easy-to-understand manner for foreign staff and established standards and rules.
- Changed the information sharing tool from handwritten notebooks to an application.
- Established an environment where foreign staff can understand the content themselves by utilizing translation functions.
Results (partial listing)
- 93% of staff felt that information sharing became clearer after reviewing the information sharing system.
- 100% of foreign staff responded that information became easier to understand by utilizing translation functions.
- 93% of staff responded that they could utilize the shared information in their daily care.
Through these initiatives, the information barrier between Japanese and foreign staff was resolved, and 100% of staff responded that communication within the workplace improved.
- Both Japanese and foreign staff came to understand care methods and information.
- Shared information could be utilized in daily care.
- Foreign staff understood the meaning of care and could work with confidence.
As a result, the workplace atmosphere improved.
Voices from leaders and staff
- Previously, I thought about "how to proceed with new initiatives," but now I think about "how to make it easier for staff to work."
- Seeing foreign staff actively trying to understand information using translation functions made me realize the significance of the initiative.
- Previously, I relied on Japanese staff during night shifts, but now I can input information myself and work with peace of mind.
Initiatives at Medical Corporation Aikawa Clinic, Nursing Home for the Elderly AiAi Yamaguchi
Theme: Team building through standardization of excretion care, thinking and working together
Challenges before the initiative
- There was a strong sense that "difficult care must be done alone," making it difficult to ask for help when in trouble.
- Excretion care was performed differently by each staff member, and innovations and success stories were not shared.
- There were no opportunities for discussions about users or care, making it difficult for opinions to emerge from the field.
Overview of the initiative
- Created excretion care procedures reflecting on-site concerns and innovations.
- Established rules for calling for support when it is difficult to handle alone.
- Intercom