Housing elderly people in Japan

Rapid ageing of the population necessitates the preparation of dwellings that are suited to ones' later years. Since dwellings last for decades, it is often the case that people rarely care about the outcome of choosing poor quality dwellings. Safety, accessibility, and usability are thought to be met as-a-matter-of-factly, which actually are not. To overcome such problems, we have developed our dwelling design guidelines for the ageing society through extensive research and succeeded in publishing them as recommendations from the government (Ministry of Construction). We have gone much further: The government subsidized housing mortgages now require the essential conditions to be eligible for preferential interest rates. The condition was the choice among the three, for durability, for energy conscious design, or for design for ageing, when the scheme was first revised in 1996. After two years, the mortgage now requires either energy conscious design or design for ageing. Within a few years, we further expect the integration of the two essential requirements, so that we will have a brighter future. The paper will explain the development processes and arguments we have overcome through years.

Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 2004

Journal of Engineering Design, 2010

It was mid 1980s when Japan was told that it will become highly aged society in the years to come. To cope with the rapid change, a research and development project was conducted with the government funding, followed by policy implementation of several kinds, in particular proposal of dwelling design concepts acceptable in ones' later years. The paper attempts to report the progresses, and discusses remaining issues to be resolved toward an inclusive society.

Gerontechnology, 2006

Th e re is an ol d s aying, "a m an's h om e is h is cas tl e ". Th e ide al condition w ou l d b e th at a pe rs on's dw e l l ing s h ou l d b e s u itab l e from 'cradl e to grave '. H ow e ve r, m any pe opl e are force d to l e ave th e ir h om e s b e cau s e of th e de te rioration of th e ir capab il itie s , com m onl y du e to th e norm al aging proce s s. A daptab il ity of th e dw e l l ing to aging s h ou l d b e tak e n into cons ide ration b y th e h om e ow ne r (Unive rs al D e s ign or UD).

European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 2007

Based on the concept of 'aging in place,' design of houses in the past years are explored. Design features in the built environment become barriers for aging people with functional limitations. Initially, houses were designed according to the required needs of the user with the physical limitations. Later, adaptable house design was introduced that allows the house to meet the specific needs of the user, while maintaining the appearance of the house until more obvious accessibility features are needed. Today, 'design for all' is recognised as a tool for ensuring physical accessibility for aging people. The holistic perspective embedded in the universal design theory should be systematically and consistently developed during the design process.

Nber Chapters, 1994

The main issues in housing the elderly in the United States are affordability and suitability. In the aggregate, there are a sufficient number of housing units for the population, and sufficient capacity in the construction industry, to meet any foreseeable increases in demand. However, sharp increases in housing costs in the past two decades, fueled by rising urban land prices and a reduction in government support for low-income housing, have created distributional problems in housing the poor at prices they can afford. The most graphic evidence of this problem is the well-publicized plight of "homeless" households. Changing population demographics are also creating distributional problems. The "graying" of the United States, with a rising share of the population over 65 years of age and an increasing number of the very old, creates new demand for small housing units, with such amenities as level entries and first-floor bathrooms that are suitable for frail or disabled individuals. The demand for these units concentrates in Southern and Western areas favored by retirees. In addition, there is a rapidly growing demand for "quasi-institutional" housing that provides health and living assistance, such as "congregate" housing, nursing homes, and "aided living" in private housing units. The gross demographics of the U.S. population are responsible for much of the strain on the housing market and are also an important factor in the evolution of housing costs. Table 5.1 gives population statistics through 1985 and "middle-series" projections of the U.S. Bureau of the Census through 2030. The percentage of the population age 65 and older has risen sharply since 1970 and will continue to rise rapidly for the next forty years. While the annual growth rate (AGR) of the total population is less than 1 percent from 1970 to

Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, 2015

We conducted a questionnaire survey in the Kanto area regarding people's dissatisfaction with various aspects of their dwelling environment. Dissatisfaction with access to transportation, shopping and medical facilities are important reasons for moving house. Probit model estimation implies that economic wealth improves satisfaction with transportation, shopping and medical facilities, but it does not reduce dissatisfaction with living costs whereas aging increases not only the satisfaction with transportation, shopping and medical facilities, but also with living costs and family and acquaintances. The results also imply that Japan's aging population does not present crucial problems for housing in the Kanto area.

2010

abstract: Japanese traditional wooden houses are a good example of system architecture. Originating from Chinese temple construction, the housing is based on the distance between column centres known as a ken. Both the widths and depths of all spaces were multiples of this standard unit and formed the frame of reference for the remaining components–timber structure, tatami mats, doors, and even furniture. Modern housing moved away from this type of construction in an effort towards mass production.

2017

Ageing-in-place is the most common ageing model in China. Therefore, design of age-friendly residential buildings and neighbourhoods becomes an important factor leading to improvement in older people’s health and quality of life. This paper presents the current situation of the ageing population in Chinese cities by qualitatively analysing existing literature, design standards and conducting stakeholder interviews to understand older people’s housing choices as well as establish physical design factors, challenges and potentials of residential design for older people. The findings will fill the knowledge gap of age-friendly residential models in China and guide better design to meet older people’s needs.

To promote aging in place, rental housing with care for older people is being developed in Japan. Residents are able to live as freely as at home, while also receiving safety confirmation and lifestyle consultation services from staff; geriatric care services that use Japan's longterm care insurance is also available at their discretion. Moving into a serviced senior residence in a familiar neighbourhood support the societal changes where family members may no longer be expected to provide care. To further promote the concept of aging in place, providing opportunities for social participation while receiving appropriate support through day services and other services open to the community is beneficial as individuals requiring geriatric care face various barriers to social participation. Future challenges will be comprehensively examining measures to simultaneously improve the wellbeing of older people and curb growing social security costs.