Community-based care for healthy ageing: lessons from Japan.

Community-based care for healthy ageing: lessons from Japan. Bull World Health Organ. 2019 Aug 01;97(8):570-574 Authors: Saito J, Haseda M, Amemiya A, Takagi D, Kondo K, Kondo N Abstract Problem: The measures for long-term care prevention that the Japanese government had introduced in 2006 were unsuccessful because of the failures to identify high-risk individuals and to enrol enough participants in the community prevention programme. Approach: The Japanese government shifted its primary strategy from a high-risk strategy to a community-based population strategy in 2015, by reforming the Long-term Care Insurance Act. This act is focusing on community-based care and social determinants of health. The Act and the government's plans for long-term care prevention are inspired by a social participation intervention called ikoino saron, that is gathering salons for people older than 65 years. These salons, managed by local volunteers, are held once or twice a month in communal spaces within walking distance of community members' homes and have a low participation fee. At the gatherings, older people can meet and interact with others through enjoyable, relaxing and sometimes educational programmes. Local setting: Japan has the world's largest ageing population, with 27.7% (35.2 million/126.7 million) of people older than 65 years. Relevant changes: Studies have shown that participation in the salons was associated w...
Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Bull World Health Organ Source Type: research