Using Data-Based Strategies to Extend Healthy Life Expectancy
The town of Mifune had been implementing a number of initiatives to promote preventive care and community building for its older residents, so when the percentage of people certified as eligible for long-term care began to rise again, they realized they needed objective data to identify the health problems of the community and strategically address the problems.
Citizen-Based Frailty Prevention Program
Based on research findings, a new training system was developed for local older people to become resident volunteers, or “frailty supporters.” A peer-to-peer model for “frailty check” activities was developed where older people gather together and carry out a comprehensive assessment to notice changes and modify their behavior together.
Older People Take the Lead! Passing on the Vitality of the Region
The Hedate Tea Room was established to coordinate and promote cooperation among various local organizations. This group, led from the bottom up and relying primarily on volunteers, has revitalized activities in the community, holding intergenerational events that pass on the stories and traditions of the region and give a sense of purpose to the older residents.
ITO EN Torori Green Tea—Delicious and Easy-to-Drink, Thickened Tea
ITO EN, one of Japan’s leading tea manufacturers, developed ready-to-serve Torori Ryokucha (thick green tea) that requires no added work to thicken and will not clump, so it is expected to save time and labor in nursing care settings or for home caregivers and make it possible for anyone to easily drink evenly thickened, delicious tea.
Assistive Wheelchair “COLORS”®—Making It Easier to Go Out
COLORS is a private company that provides a variety of caregiving services for older adults, people with disabilities, and others. Recognizing the issues facing caregivers in managing traditional wheelchairs, they began to develop a new design for a wheelchair that would be easier to use, regardless of the terrain, while still being light in weight and simple to operate.
Online Exercise Salon for the Elderly through Industry-Academia Collaboration
Based on a unique concept of “gut-brain-muscle correlation,” this program offers online exercise and brain health broadcasts on a contract basis to nursing homes. By providing more than 10,000 combinations of evidence-based exercises designed to prevent frailty and maintain health, the salons reduce the need for nursing personnel to spend time and resources creating their own content to keep residents healthy and engaged.
Home Nursing to Regenerate the Town
Nurse & Craft addresses aging, rural communities by establishing a home-visit nursing station to provide medical treatment and care at home, taking advantage of telemedicine to access medical doctors on the mainland. They also offer a combination of health monitoring technologies, regular home visits by nurses, and health classes to improve medical literacy and digital literacy among older residents and promote healthier living.
QR Code Jell Nail Stickers for People with Dementia
Each year, thousands of people living with dementia wander off, becoming disoriented and unable to find their way home. Japanese authorities received more than 17,000 such missing person reports in 2020. To solve this problem, ORANGE LINKS created a small, waterproof sticker that is affixed to a fingernail and includes a personalized QR code.
“Dementia Eyes”—Experiencing Dementia through AR
Dementia Eyes uses an augmented reality (AR) filter to reproduce the visual difficulties experienced by people with dementia, such as poor depth perception. Unlike VR, which creates a virtual space, AR lets users experience the effects in their real surroundings.
Healthy and Purposeful Employment Trial
Takarazuka City, Japan, has initiated the “Healthy and Purposeful Employment Trial,” matching retirees with nursing care facilities. This program matches healthy older people who want to work with nursing care and daycare centers, which are suffering from personnel shortages.