Housing policy towards a super aging society: From building specifications to special needs measures

Abstract

Japan is becoming a ‘super‐aging society’ beyond an ‘aged society’. During last decade, considerable political measures on the housing for the elderly have been launched, but the turning point is coming. There are many private detached houses in Japan. In order to upgrade the quality of ordinary houses, ‘guidelines of housing design devised to cope with aged society’ was announced by the ministry. From April 2000, under the Long‐term Care Insurance Law, house adaptation system for the frail elderly was institutionalized and the needs of it have been increasing wider and wider. Most elderly people feel anxious for the future when they need personal care that includes home help services and nursing care. Elderly residents of collective housings want to reserve the service facility in the same building. New types of dwellings have also been developed (such as senior housing, care house, group home) Recently, the old peoples homes began to consider a high value to the comfortable atmosphere as a house. Even the nursing homes are changing into houses that contain small scale homes. Group living is not an institution, but a house that must have a possibility to suit the all categories of elderly people. The scheme will become one of the mainstreams of housing for the elderly as a new type of dwelling.

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