5.1 Evaluation for case with the specialization coefficient

Figure 7 is the evaluation results when using the specialization coefficient of the population aging rate. Areas with particularly high evaluation points are outlined by bold black lines. As evident in Figure 7, in addition to the areas with a high aging population mentioned in Section 4.2.2, evaluation points were also high in the eastern areas. On the other hand, evaluation points in the northern part of Chofu City were generally low.

### 5.2 Evaluation for case without the specialization coefficient

Figure 8 is the evaluation result without the use of the specialization coefficient of the population aging rate. Particularly high evaluation points are outlined by bold

Figure 7. Evaluation result when using the specialization coefficient.

5.4 Extraction of areas lacking nursing facilities

The difference between evaluation results with and without the specialization coefficient.

Evaluation of Nursing Facility Locations Using the Specialization…

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81364

can be expected.

6. Conclusion

points:

35

Figure 9.

Based on the evaluation results of Section 5.1 (the evaluation results for cases with the specialization coefficient), the five areas with the highest evaluation points will be extracted as areas lacking facilities. The five areas outlined in light gray in Figure 7 have a particularly high population of those 75 and over, and it can be said that there is currently a lack of nursing facilities. Additionally, as the population of those aged 65–74 are also high in these areas, further shortages of nursing facilities

The conclusion of the present study can be summarized in the following three

1. In the present study, the model of the p-median problem used to obtain the optimal location of facilities was modified, and a method to evaluate the current situation concerning the shortage or overage of nursing facilities by area was proposed. By using the A\* algorithm to calculate the distance between nursing facilities and areas, the shortest routes were efficiently calculated. Additionally, the specialization coefficient of the population aging rate used for the distance weighting can be used, because the users of nursing facilities are limited to the aging population, and the evaluation method which used this

2. Regarding the evaluation method in the present study, as evaluations are conducted using quantitative data such as the specialization coefficient of the population aging rate and the distance between nursing facilities and areas, the evaluation results are also quantitative, making it an effective indicator for evaluating the locations of nursing facilities. Additionally, as the current location situation of nursing facilities is evaluated by the area, the comparison of the shortage or overage of nursing facilities in each area as well as the extraction of areas lacking facilities can be easily conducted. Furthermore, as

coefficient is a method specialized for nursing facilities.

Figure 8. Evaluation results when the specialization coefficient was not used.

black lines in the same manner as Figure 7, and among the areas outlined, four areas were the same as those outlined in Figure 7.
