Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto opens ‘Independent living’ facility for the disabled with ‘overnight’ service

Written with extracts from The Kyoto Shimbun

6th June 2018

A social welfare corporation “Nishijin Kai” in Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, opened a one-room apartment “Neighborhood Sumida” with watching overnight in the district to increase the choices of homes for persons with disabilities. Although it is a form relatively close to “elderly housing with service” that lives while receiving necessary nursing care services, it is said to be unusual nationwide as a residence for disabled people.

‘Neighborhood Sudokitachi’ consists of six rooms with kitchen, bath and toilet and administrator’s waiting room for duty. It is good to live for a person with intellectual disabilities mainly, living by using a home help service.

The Nishijin Kai , created a shared house so that , the disabled people can live independently and gradually adjust to the environment for living in the area.

However, some people are hard to familiarize themselves with the communal life, while others are hard to cohabit with their families, he said that he felt the necessity of setting up an environment where people could live with peace of mind. The service was set up so that the administrator is available at 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. in order to prepare for night time emergency while maintaining independent living in the daytime.

Masayuki Asada, Managing Director of the Association said, “Even though we have the power to live alone, some people need environmental improvements to achieve independent living. As a result of being close to individual users, the form of a one-room apartment Is possible.”

Mr. Asada says that such facilities are already available and, opened on the 1st of this month.