Keywords Innovation · Caregiving home residents · Daytime care service users ·
Humanoid communication robot · Emotion analysis · Dementia
1 Introduction: Societal Background and Challenges
in Japan’s Caregiving for Older Adults
Japan’s population is aging at a rapid rate, even among developed countries, and the
proportions of the population requiring caregiving and older adults with dementia
are growing, leading to the issue of costs related to long-term care. Despite this, an
increasing concern is about the shortages of caregivers.
According to the “Annual Report on the Aging Society 2019,” Japan’s total
population as of 2018 was 126.44 million. This includes 35.58 million individuals
aged 65 years or older. In other words, 28.1% of the total population consists of older
adults (Cabinet Office, 2019, p. 2). The population requiring caregiving has also
increased with the number of individuals certified as requiring caregiving (requiring
support) roughly tripling over the past 18 years to reach 6.44 million in 2018
(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Bureau for the Elderly, 2018, p. 4).
The Long-Term Care Insurance Act was enacted in the year 2000. The foundational principle of this act is “support for the independence of older adults.”
According to the Long-Term Care Insurance Act Chapter I Article 1, individuals
who require caregiving “will be provided benefits for necessary healthcare and
welfare services to enable the performance of independent activities of daily living
in accordance with the possessed abilities” (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
1997).
The ratio of Japan’s social security benefits including benefits for older adults
continues to increase, reaching 67.6% in 2015 (National Institute of Population and
Social Security Research, 2015). It is anticipated that 2.53 million caregivers will be
necessary by 2025, yet a shortage of 377,000 is expected (Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare, 2015a). Concerning the increasing number of older adults
with dementia, in 2015, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare presented the
“Comprehensive Strategy to Accelerate Dementia Measures (New Orange Plan)”
and has set forth policies such as the “provision of timely and appropriate medical/
caregiving in accordance with the condition of dementia” (Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare, 2015b).
With the enactment of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, the selection and
contracting of care were changed from the conventional contracting method
according to a placement system to a free contracting method chosen by the user.
However, an environment in which diverse services can be provided based on free
competition is yet to be realized in the long-term care market. In fact, there is an
“asymmetry of information,” and it is not possible for users to obtain advanced and
complete information about the quality and content of services when they choose
caregiving homes and daytime care services (Ikeda, 2012).
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Y. Ikeda et al.
Humanoid communication robot · Emotion analysis · Dementia
1 Introduction: Societal Background and Challenges
in Japan’s Caregiving for Older Adults
Japan’s population is aging at a rapid rate, even among developed countries, and the
proportions of the population requiring caregiving and older adults with dementia
are growing, leading to the issue of costs related to long-term care. Despite this, an
increasing concern is about the shortages of caregivers.
According to the “Annual Report on the Aging Society 2019,” Japan’s total
population as of 2018 was 126.44 million. This includes 35.58 million individuals
aged 65 years or older. In other words, 28.1% of the total population consists of older
adults (Cabinet Office, 2019, p. 2). The population requiring caregiving has also
increased with the number of individuals certified as requiring caregiving (requiring
support) roughly tripling over the past 18 years to reach 6.44 million in 2018
(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Bureau for the Elderly, 2018, p. 4).
The Long-Term Care Insurance Act was enacted in the year 2000. The foundational principle of this act is “support for the independence of older adults.”
According to the Long-Term Care Insurance Act Chapter I Article 1, individuals
who require caregiving “will be provided benefits for necessary healthcare and
welfare services to enable the performance of independent activities of daily living
in accordance with the possessed abilities” (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
1997).
The ratio of Japan’s social security benefits including benefits for older adults
continues to increase, reaching 67.6% in 2015 (National Institute of Population and
Social Security Research, 2015). It is anticipated that 2.53 million caregivers will be
necessary by 2025, yet a shortage of 377,000 is expected (Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare, 2015a). Concerning the increasing number of older adults
with dementia, in 2015, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare presented the
“Comprehensive Strategy to Accelerate Dementia Measures (New Orange Plan)”
and has set forth policies such as the “provision of timely and appropriate medical/
caregiving in accordance with the condition of dementia” (Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare, 2015b).
With the enactment of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, the selection and
contracting of care were changed from the conventional contracting method
according to a placement system to a free contracting method chosen by the user.
However, an environment in which diverse services can be provided based on free
competition is yet to be realized in the long-term care market. In fact, there is an
“asymmetry of information,” and it is not possible for users to obtain advanced and
complete information about the quality and content of services when they choose
caregiving homes and daytime care services (Ikeda, 2012).
38
Y. Ikeda et al.