Workshop 1: Dream Of Mizuumi Village

The Dream Of Mizuumi Village day care service is one of the most advanced day care centres in Japan that was started by an occupational therapist in 2011. With approximately 90-120 clients daily, the centre is focused on rehabilitation, with good care philosophy and innovative care methods. Some methods of delivery includes incentivising their clients, giving them the autonomy to choose and encouraging independence of movement. Unlike most daycare centres where seniors follow a structured timetable, the clients are able to choose from a variety of programmes at the start of each day. The range of 150 activities ranges from woodwork, pottery, calligraphy and more. Unlike other centres, where staff serve the elderly, clients do most of the work themselves. Not limiting to just the activities, during lunchtime, for instance, clients collect their personal box of utensils, line up in a row to choose the food they want and push a cart to take the food to their tables. After eating, they return their washed cutlery to the shelves. One other unique feature, the centre is deliberately not barrier-free. In the middle of it stands a steep, two-storey-high staircase, called Mt Fuji a famliar sight to all. Instead of railings or grab bars, there are ropes for support, which trains upper and lower body coordination.

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Workshop 2: Aoi Care

Aoi Care, in Fujisawa, 50 km south of Tokyo is a service for older adults, which puts intergenerational relations at the centre of its care facility. AOICARE Inc. was founded in 2001 and starts operation of “Group Home YUI” and “Day Service IDOBATA”. In 2007, we started Small Scale Multifunctional In-Home Long-Term Care “OTAGAISAN” to respond flexibly to the needs of the elderly of dementia. Aoi Care consists of two sections: a residential area with a capacity for seven older adults coping with dementia and an ‘open’ section where older adults can visit and can stay for a short period if they want to. This service had a positive impact on not only elderly people with dementia but also the entire community in the area. Daily life in Aoi Care puts a priority on participation of older adults from the surrounding neighbourhood, productivity and independence of older adults and intergenerational contact. Aoi Care is physically and close to the community. Weaving through its buildings is the public street, on which the neighbours of all ages to travel from home to the city, school and their work. So children going and coming home from school go along the street coming in contact with the older people in Aoi Care. In November 2012, we received a grand prize at “Kanagawa Welfare Service Awards - Advanced case presentation society opening up the future of welfare”. Our business has been mentioned in numerous media nationwide. President Kato was introduced at Nikkei Business as “100 people who will create the next and complete generation.”

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Workshop 3: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology

Established in 1972, this hospital integrated facility comprises a leading geriatric hospital an Institute of for geriatric medicine and gerontology with many notable achievements. Formed to become a local incorporated administrative agency; it moved to new hospital and research facilities in 2013, and since then, it has been engaged in medical care and research activities more actively than ever in this new environment with the latest facilities. The centre aims to take advantage of its dual nature as being both a hospital and a research institute by engaging in research on solutions for issues raised at clinical sites dealing with the elderly and in reflecting research results gained by the research institute on the clinical practice in a timely manner. Within and between the hospital and the research institute, we strive to achieve a high level of cooperation, communication, discussion, and collaborative work among different hospital departments and research teams to enhance each other’s motivation and engage in medical practices and research activities. During the visit you will see the day services model and rehabilitation section of the hospital including a sauna room for cardiac rehabilitation.

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Workshop 4: Namco Bandai Kaikaya Co. Ltd

The day care facilities visitors, whose average age is 85, have a choice of activities at this government-approved centre, including assisted bathing, physiotherapy, lunch and a series of arcade and video games. Offering a range of entertainment so that elderly clients can spend the whole day having fun and often exhausted from fun before returning to their home, ensuring a good night rest. The video games in this centre are very much extra-curricular, voluntary activities but clients look very animated when they are playing, the nursing home is run by a company behind arcade phenomenon PacMan, whose pill-popping escapades helped bring video games to a mass youth market. Care staff try to motivate the elderly, by tapping into their competitive spirits by posting leader boards on the walls and running competitions to see who is the "most vigorous" every few months. These activities strengthen works on strengthening the elderly legs and hip muscles which are important for falls prevention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Workshop 5: Applewood Saidaiji

The nursing home delivers a revitalising care model. This is a transitional facility that provides intensive rehabilitation and medical care for those who are well enough to leave the hospital, but not completely suitable to move to a nursing home or to move back home. The team here is focused on training their clients to be well enough to sit up, eat, stand up and walk. The clients they serve are usually post stroke, have Parkinson's or have undergone a major brain surgery. Most would have been diagnosed as bedridden or terminal in other facilities. However, at Applewood, they are given at least 4-6 hours of rehabilitation daily. While the rehabilitation may not heal their illnesses, the emotional healing far surpasses any medication that can be prescribed. The residents live each day with a sense of purpose, and the progress they make is celebrated by the entire team. You would almost think the elderly here are training for the Olympics and the physiotherapists are the coaches. Together, they achieve more with this collective strength and spirit.

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