And then, no one became a care manager６

"Do you dislike non-sorcerers, Suguru?"

"I don't know. I used to believe that Jujutsu existed to protect non-sorcerers. But lately, my perception of the value of non-sorcerers has been wavering. The nobility of the weak. The ugliness of the weak. I can no longer distinguish or accept them. There's a part of me that looks down on non-sorcerers and another part that denies that feeling. Being a sorcerer is like running a marathon, and the vision of its end is so ambiguous that I don't know what my true feelings are."

"Neither is your true feeling yet. You're not at that stage. The part of you that looks down on non-sorcerers and the part of you that denies it—they are just considered possibilities. It’s up to you to choose which one to make your true feeling."

This is a conversation between Tsukumo and Suguru from Jujutsu Kaisen.

I've been working as a care manager for the elderly since 2013 and as a support specialist for people with disabilities since 2015. During this period, I have passed exams for "Certified Care Worker," "Social Worker," "Mental Health Social Worker," "Certified Psychologist," and "Childcare Worker," and obtained qualifications such as "Senior Care Manager" and "Senior Support Specialist."

However, as I advanced, the negative aspects of this job became increasingly evident, and I have come to the conclusion that this is not a job for young, capable individuals.

"Elderly people using the long-term care insurance to access home care (helpers) or day services need care plans created by us, the care managers. These care plans require objectives (needs) for utilizing home care or day services. The care manager sets goals based on these objectives, and the various long-term care services are provided to achieve these goals.

However, when asking elderly people about their objectives, some respond with 'I don't know' or 'I'm being taken care of.' Setting goals based on 'I don't know' or 'I'm being taken care of' is essentially an impossible task.

'It's no good... They've given up on thinking.' These are the words of Armin from Attack on Titan. In Japan, even if people give up thinking, they can receive support and somehow live through the world's best social insurance system. Frankly, dealing with the aftermath of such people's lives is one of the roles of a care manager.

When sharing information about such elderly people with the ward office, I mentioned the above, and a person from the ward office said, 'The philosophy of long-term care insurance is to support such people.' I couldn't help but feel a surge of hostility. Many public servants working at ward offices have also given up thinking...

① The salary is low for the required work. ② It is mentally exhausting. ③ Maintaining qualifications is challenging.

These are the three main reasons why care managers quit. In addition to obvious troublesome elderly people who cause harassment, those who have given up thinking also contribute to mental exhaustion. Those who have given up thinking believe that others will somehow take care of their lives without any effort on their part.

Troubled "human relationships" or troublesome "human relationships" all follow the same pattern. There are always three players: ① the victim, ② the persecutor, and ③ the rescuer. While individuals may be at fault, the relationship dynamics are worse.

People who have given up thinking feel they are ① victims. Such individuals often have low living skills and may require multiple home care visits a day. Many home care providers have a ③ rescuer mindset, feeling they 'want to help' and 'can't leave them alone.'

Having a ③ rescuer mindset isn't inherently bad, but if it's too strong, it complicates problems. In reality, the presence of a ③ rescuer further diminishes the ① victim's abilities. Because the ③ rescuer solves problems on behalf of the ① victim, the ① victim does not develop problem-solving skills and increasingly gives up thinking.

Furthermore, the ③ rescuer unconsciously identifies the ① victim as 'weak' and interacts with them thinking, 'I have to help the weak,' 'they can't do without me.' By labeling the ① victim as 'pitiful,' the ① victim themselves also believe they are 'pitiful,' leading to a stronger sense of helplessness.

Moreover, a deeper problem arises where services like home care are increased unnecessarily with no objective need, under the belief that 'we are doing the right thing,' while continuing to receive compensation without any doubt.

For the super-rich and those who have given up thinking (pensioners, welfare recipients), there is no country as livable as Japan. The safety is world-class, and they receive pensions seven times what they paid in, without paying rent, medical fees, or long-term care insurance fees.

However, for the working generation, Japan may be the hardest country to live in. Social insurance fees and taxes keep rising, and the hard-earned money is paid out as pensions to elderly people who hardly contributed to the system. Would you want to continue living in such a country?

My company advocates for a world view of 'making the caregivers happy first to make those receiving care happy.' As part of this initiative, we offer counseling, supervision, etc. Many care managers apply, and those who are mentally exhausted and develop depression eventually quit.

Unfortunately, it is the young and capable people who are leaving. Most care managers do not analyze their issues or take action and just go about their daily work without much thought. It is the few care managers who think 'Is there no way?' and act on it who reach me.

Initially, I used to say, 'Let's work hard together.' But recently, I've been conveying a different message. The message is, 'You should quit.'

Stress from work inevitably gets directed towards family after returning home. For young, capable, and attractive people in their 20s and 30s, there's a high chance they live with a wonderful partner and lovely children. It's tragic that the stress from low pay, constant pressure, and lack of growth in work gets directed towards family.

Changing this situation is tough. Most 50s-60s "old lady care managers" and thoughtless public servants do not even question it. When young, capable people try to change it, it only adds to their stress. Therefore, quitting is the better option, according to my current conclusion.

Most healthcare and long-term care are for the elderly. This is not good for the country's future. From a national perspective, young labor is being used for the elderly, meaning the abilities and time of those with a future are being invested in the elderly.

I want this industry to be able to say such things. And I want this industry to attract people interested in such matters. This is one of my current wishes.