The Basics of Kaigo: The Care Worker’s Role, Ethics, and Workplace Safety

Fundamentals of care work（介護の基本）· Material

介護の基本 · Updated 30 October 2026

The 介護の基本 field tests the foundations of the kaigo care profession: who a 介護福祉士 is, the ethics that bind them, how to work in an interprofessional team, and how to keep both users and yourself safe. Terms you must master include 名称独占, 守秘義務, スタンダードプリコーション, and ボディメカニクス.

The role and standing of the kaigo fukushishi

The 介護福祉士 is a national qualification: only those who pass the national exam may use this professional title — this is called 名称独占 (monopoly of the title). It is important to remember that this is not 業務独占: the work of caregiving itself may be done by other professions; what the law protects is only the use of the title.

Its duties include physical care （身体介護） such as help with eating, bathing, and toileting; life support （生活支援） such as cooking and cleaning; and support and consultation for family caregivers. The care plan for home services （ケアプラン） is drawn up by the 介護支援専門員 (care manager), not by the kaigo fukushishi.

• 名称独占: what is protected is the professional title, not the work
• Scope: 身体介護・生活支援・family support
• The home-service ケアプラン is made by the care manager

Professional ethics and confidentiality

Professional ethics are set out in the code of ethics （倫理綱領） of the 日本介護福祉士会: respecting users’ dignity, providing equal services without discrimination, protecting privacy, and continuing to develop oneself. Users’ personal information must not be leaked — the duty of confidentiality （守秘義務） continues to apply even after leaving the job.

Sharing information within the team for care purposes is legitimate use, but only to the extent necessary. The user’s consent （同意） is required before information is given to anyone outside the service team.

• 守秘義務 applies for the whole of one’s professional life, including after retirement
• Share information only within the team and only as needed
• Code of ethics: dignity, equality, privacy, self-development

Workplace safety: infection and your back

Infection prevention rests on standard precautions （スタンダードプリコーション）: all blood and body fluids are treated as potentially infectious for every user, with hand hygiene as the most important measure — before and after contact, after removing gloves, and after handling excreta.

To prevent back pain （腰痛）, apply body mechanics （ボディメカニクス）: widen your base of support with your feet, bend your knees rather than your waist, bring the load close to your body, and avoid twisting movements. Also make use of assistive devices （福祉用具） such as sliding boards and lifts, and do heavy lifting in pairs.

• スタンダードプリコーション applies to all users
• Hand hygiene is the number-one infection prevention measure
• ボディメカニクス: wide base, bent knees, load close to the body

Risk management and teamwork

Near-miss incidents （ヒヤリハット） must be reported and shared with the team even when no injury occurred — it is from these small reports that major accidents are prevented. Every accident is recorded and reported （事故報告） to the person in charge, and its causes and prevention are discussed, not to blame individuals.

Good care is teamwork （チームアプローチ）: the kaigo fukushishi works together with nurses, doctors, rehabilitation therapists, and care managers, each with their own expertise. Medical acts （医行為） are not the domain of kaigo — the limited exception is only sputum suction and tube feeding by those who are trained and registered （認定特定行為業務従事者）.

• ヒヤリハット: report even incidents that did not cause harm
• 事故報告 is for improving the system, not for finding a scapegoat
• 医行為 is outside kaigo’s domain, except registered 特定行為

Key terms

Frequently tested points

• The 介護福祉士 is 名称独占, not 業務独占 — the most common trap in this field.
• The ケアプラン for home services is drawn up by the 介護支援専門員 (care manager).
• Standard precautions apply to all users, not only those known to be infected.
• ヒヤリハット is still reported even when there is no injury — the purpose is prevention.

Independent study material for the Japanese national Certified Care Worker exam (介護福祉士国家試験). Official terms and rules may change — always cross-check with the latest official sources.