As population aging continues to progress, when we think about what this country will be like fifty or a hundred years from now, the only conclusion we can draw is that the issues surrounding elderly care that today’s children will have to face in the future will be extremely serious. When we thought about what we could leave for the children living today, we came to believe that the most important thing we could do was to leave them materials for judgment and reflection. In other words, we...
Therefore, in my case, which is of course closely related to my evolutionary genetic models of elderly care, I believe that I need to think as carefully and concretely as possible about the costs of care. In particular, I would like to focus on questions such as how much it would cost to realize the kind of later life my parents desire; how much it would cost if the same goals were pursued using long-term care insurance services; how much the cost would differ if they could be achieved without...
The future of elderly care Ultimately, it seems to me that the long-term care insurance system is providing care for the elderly en masse under the banner of the “socialization of care,” in order to keep citizens working with the economy as the top priority, even as the workforce continues to shrink due to the declining birthrate and the aging population. However, now that I have actually worked in various care facilities and am able to consider several alternatives, when I reflect on how...
As for the specifics of caring for my parents, I think I will need to discuss various aspects with them and decide what to do and how to do it. However, when I reflect on my experience as a care worker and on the residents and clients I have encountered in care facilities, I do not think my parents are hoping for anything special. I believe they probably do not want to sing songs or play games every day. There is nothing particularly special; it ultimately comes down to how they can continue...
When we think about and try to envision our own later lives while we are still healthy, it is important, in order to make that vision a reality, to have thorough discussions with our children and other family members. At such times, many people may not wish to place a burden on their children or other family members by having them care for them. However, as discussed in my earlier paper, “Towards a Better Perspective on Elderly Care: A Case Study,” this can also be an opportunity for...
Drawing on the conclusions from the evolutionary genetic models I have used so far, as well as on insights from evolutionary hypotheses such as the grandmother hypothesis, I believe that my approach to caring for my parents and acquaintances is to pursue a form of elderly care that does not merely leave older people waiting for death while imposing enormous costs on the younger generation, but instead asks how elderly individuals can continue to contribute to the next generation, including...
As I have written at length above, I have had many opportunities to experience elderly care in a variety of care facilities. During that time, I have faced many difficulties and distressing experiences. In light of Japan’s declining birthrate and aging population, and when I look ahead to the bleak future of the long-term care insurance system, where even greater difficulties are likely to await us, I have come to the conclusion that, above all, we should not assume that everything will work...
Caring for my parents My perspective on caring for my parents My parents are now both over 80 years old. Through my work in the field of elderly care, I have realized that even people in their seventies, who are younger than my parents, are no longer uncommon among those receiving care. It is therefore not surprising that my parents may require care and support at any time. In fact, my father fell ill around Golden Week in the spring of 2022 and was in a life-threatening condition. Fortunately,...
As I mentioned earlier, I was able to conduct research while receiving a scholarship during my doctoral studies at the University of Tsukuba. Nowadays, there seem to be more scholarships that do not require repayment. However, in my case, the scholarship I received had to be repaid, totaling several million yen over the five years of my doctoral studies. Unable to secure another research position for some time, I relied on the meager savings I had accumulated during my time as a postdoctoral...
I think nursing homes often have memo pads, such as "handover notebooks," to inform care staff of important matters, including residents' conditions and facility events. Similarly, my parents and aunts created their own notebooks to stay in touch while caring for my grandmother. They recorded observations about her condition and important tasks, such as refilling diaper pads. My grandmother stayed in the same nursing home for over five years, from April 2007 until her passing in December 2012....