Japan's public Long-Term Care Insurance system came into effect on April 1, 2000. Among the services being offered, one venture that is attracting particular attention due its scale is a system centered on selling nursing products through convenience stores. Using the information provided by home helpers who visit people in need of care to assist with such tasks as housework and bathing, the system answers many other of the patient's household needs by delivering meals for the patient or sending products they want from convenience stores. The workers phone or fax information on what the patients need to the SMS reception center or a Seven-Eleven store, and in response SMS delivers what is needed via its distribution center. Or, the worker goes to the Seven-Eleven store to collect the goods and takes them to the patient's home.
Patients can also place their own orders from a catalogue that has been delivered to their home.
Soon simple mobile terminals will be developed that can be carried by the home helpers and used for online purchasing. That number will be increased in the future. People risk running up quite large bills if they have to travel frequently between Tokyo and outlying areas, so the offer has attracted much interest. Other companies entering care-related sectors include The Tokyo Electric Power Co. , which is offering care products and home alteration in the greater Tokyo area. Hitachi and TOTO have also entered the market for elderly-friendly home improvements, and Matsushita Electric Works is developing a network of franchise stores renting care products.