With the number of elderly people outnumbering that of the young, the number of elderly people living alone and the number of families having trouble caring for their elderly is on the rise. One of the very important issues for the future of Japanese society is the aging of the population.
One solution to this problem is "home helpers. These home helpers visit the homes of the elderly and people with disabilities and provide assistance in all aspects of daily living, from physical care such as feeding, bathing, removing and dressing to cooking, laundry, cleaning, and shopping. Another important job is to provide emotional care to lonely elderly people and their families, and to instruct families on caregiving.
To become a home helper, one must complete a home helper training course offered by various organizations, including prefectural and municipal governments. There are three levels, from Level 1 to Level 3, and anyone can take the introductory Level 3 course.

The Level 3 course consists of 25 hours of lessons on nursing care knowledge, 17 hours of practical training in which participants act as caregivers to each other, and 8 hours of practical training in which participants observe a home care facility. The training is provided by local governments and private training institutions.
After completing the course and acquiring the certification, the caregiver can officially work at homes for the elderly, welfare facilities such as nursing homes, and hospitals.
However, in many cases, a qualification of Level 2 or higher is required to work as a full-fledged professional. Those who want to work in welfare in the future should first take a Level 3 course.

Welfare departments of each municipality, social welfare councils, local volunteer centers, etc.