JA Hospitals and Health Care Facilities Serving
Members and Local Residents

The JA Group is engaged in medical and health care services, too. Hospitals and health care facilities operated by the prefectural welfare federations of agricultural cooperatives have been actively promoting these services particularly in local societies in collaboration with member JAs. Some primary level JAs have their own clinics to provide medical services to their members and residents in their respective areas.

Nursing care for the elderly is now a challenge in rural communities where the ageing of the population is taking place rapidly. Under such circumstances, an increasing number of JAs now practice cooperative activities for aged people in the community, mainly lead by JAs' women's organizations. Some JAs organize volunteers groups, or JA mutual help groups to provide those people with various services including "home visit" and "mini day-care." Such mutual help groups were organized by 974 JAs in the country as of April 2004.

A large number of JAs are also engaged in public welfare activities for the elderly, providing them with home help services, meal services and day-care services. Furthermore, many JAs are also assisting member families, mainly their house wives, to help them qualify as publicly certified "home helpers" for aged people. The total number of such qualified "home helpers" increased to some 108,000 as of the end of the year 2003.

Organizational Set-up for Health Maintenance Activities of JAs

Number of JAs Providing Nursing Care Services (as of October 1, 2004)

Source: Survey by JA-ZENCHU

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