Summary:

The most critical social issue in Japan is “Challenges 2040”. By 2040, it is predicted that the working-age population will decrease to 35 per cent. The baby boomer junior population will be over 65 years old. This will lead to a social security system crisis in Japan. The Japanese government aims to reform the healthcare provision system. In the health care field, emphasis is placed on quality care with less workforce.

Assistive products for people living with dementia are also attracting attention from a social aspect, with an increasing number of older adults living alone or with mild cognitive impairment. We will introduce some assistive products from our collaboration research, such as:

• An automatic brake system for manual wheelchairs to prevent wheelchair falls.
• Weighted blankets for sound sleep.
• A communication robot designed to support people in their daily living activities such as providing reminders to take medications.

Speaker Bios: 

Dr. Misato Nihei completed doctoral training at Waseda University Graduate School of Life Science and Engineering and holds a PhD in Engineering. Dr. Nihei assumed her current position at the University of Tokyo after working at the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities Research Institute. She is also a member of the IOG (Institute of Gerontology.) Her specialties are human/life support engineering and accessible design, and she has expertise in assistive technology and assistive robots for older adults.

Dr. Nodoka Yamauchi is a senior researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). She obtained her PhD from Musashino Art University. For over 14 years, she worked with a manufacturer developing assistive technologies provided in long-term care insurance. Dr. Yamauchi has worked on research projects which involve using support devices to improve quality of life for people with dementia and cognitive decline.

Dr. Shannon Freeman, an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at that University of Northern British Columbia, has expertise in the health and social care needs of older adults in rural and northern communities, both among community-dwelling adults and those in long-term care. Dr. Freeman is the Academic Director of the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN), an AGE-WELL national innovation hub dedicated to enhancing innovations in technology development and implementation to support older adults in rural and northern communities. Dr. Freeman’s interest in improving quality of life and care for older adults shows through her engagement in community-partnered research activities which are having a real-world impact on the communities where the research is taking place.