Supporting Self-Reliance

As people in Asia enjoy increasingly longer lives, the challenge of maintaining or restoring physical and mental functions—and assisting people when those functions begin to deteriorate—has become more critical. Discover innovative approaches that help seniors and caregivers overcome these challenges.

Organization: Shanghai Jinmei Care for the Elderly
Location: Shanghai, China
Shanghai Jinmei Care for the Elderly established Memory Homes to support the city's growing elderly population. It is a community-based space where social workers provide those with dementia and their families with professional support. These homes also provide educational programs, preventive activities, cognitive function assessments, and support for caregivers.
Organization: Takarazuka City Collaborative Community-Building Council
Location: Takarazuka City, Japan
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.
Organization: Hatachi Industry, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, and Kosai Consultants
Location: Thailand and Japan
Hatachi Industry has worked in close collaboration with Thai partners to transfer their know-how for a preventative care system that can meet the needs of older Thai people. The program has been particularly effective at identifying and supporting frail older people who may soon require nursing care.
Organization: Taiseikai Group
Location: Japan
The Taiseikai Group, a medical corporation in Japan, has been committed since 2002 to protecting the dignity and health of people with dementia through “Taisekei Style” care—using zero physical restraints in their facilities and instead combining care content and supportive methods to alleviate behavioral disorders associated with dementia.
Organization: Komagane City
Location: Japan
Komagane City, Japan, collaborates with Showa Inan General Hospital to prevent stroke recurrence in older patients. This year-long program starts at hospitalization and includes patient education, self-monitoring, and consultations. By focusing on mild stroke patients, recurrence rates dropped from 8% to 4.8%.
Organization: Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE)
Location: Vietnam
Vietnam's aging population faces vision loss, impacting their independence. The Vietnam Association of the Elderly launched "Bright Eyes for Older People" in 2012, providing free vision care to millions. This data-driven campaign, backed by partnerships, raised over $22.3 million.
Organization: Korea Association of Senior Welfare Centers (KASWC)
Location: South Korea
The KB Good Memory School is a research-based dementia prevention program offered at nearly 100 senior welfare centers across Korea. The program also enhances public awareness about dementia prevention.
Organization: Mori no Kaze–Uehara
Location: Japan
With the aging of Japanese society, the number of seniors who require constant caregiving has grown, as has the number of publicly operated long-term care facilities. One such facility is helping seniors lead an independent life by providing a variety of support services that allows the elderly to age in place.
Organization: Triple W Japan K.K.
Location: Japan
As people grow older, they experience many changes both mentally and physically, including bladder control issues. To address health problems associated with incontinence, a company called Triple W Japan K.K. has developed DFree, a wearable device that anticipates when the user will need to use the toilet.

AHWIN will be expanding this section continuously to include services, products, and initiatives from throughout Asia that could be useful or instructive for others in the region and the world. Check back again soon to read new cases and to learn how you can make recommendations.

Disclaimer: The introduction of organizations and products on this website is for reference purposes only and does not imply any recommendation or endorsement on the part of ERIA, JCIE, or the Japanese government.