Category: Elderly

by Michael Gillan Peckitt April 7, 2024 Number of comments0
COVID-19 Disability Elderly Japan Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. Podcast Shog.A.I. Shimbun

The Shog-A.I. Shimbun #17: Prejudice Against Ex-Leprosy Patients in Japan & Other New Fiscal Year News

A disability news-related digest from the first few days of April 2024 in Japan, the beginning of the fiscal year. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. says that water leaked “into ‘beni-koji’ production tank in past.” Japan’s Health Ministry conducted a poll that revealed 35% of people are prejudiced against ex-leprosy patients and 2024 brings changes regarding policies about health and for people with disabilities in Japan.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt March 27, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Japan Podcast QR Code Shog.A.I. Shimbun Technology

Disability News Japan Podcast: The Shog-A.I. Shimbun #12: You’ll be Elderly in Japan, Use QR Codes and You’ll be Happy

In a country notorious for its reliance on cash, municipalities across Japan have been staging electronic payment uptake drives to stimulate digitalized consumption by granting shopping points for transactions using QR codes.

Some remain reluctant, especially elderly people and others who find digital devices difficult to operate, and who continue to view cash as the be-all and end-all for making purchases.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt March 15, 2024 Number of comments0
Disasters Earthquake Elderly Japan Mental Health

13 Years After Major Earthquake Miyagi Governor Stresses Need for Psychological Care

The governor of Miyagi, one of the northeastern Japan prefectures hit hard by a massive earthquake and tsunami 13 years ago, emphasized the need for psychological care for those affected by the disaster.

The number of people experiencing mental issues has gone up due to changes in their environment following the March 11, 2011, disaster, Murai said, adding that the number of elderly residents living alone has increased as well.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt March 6, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Japan Welfare

Japan’s Welfare Benefit Claims Up for 4th Year in 2023, Single Mothers and Disabled Comprise 15.8% of Applicants

The number of welfare benefit applications stood at 255,079 in Japan in 2023, rising for the fourth consecutive year, the welfare ministry said Wednesday.

Households that fall under the “others” category, which includes those led by unemployed people but excludes those led by single mothers and people with disabilities or disease, accounted for 15.8 pct.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 23, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability E-Sports Elderly Japan

Esports Gain Traction at Welfare Facilities in Japan

Esports is being employed with the aim of preserving cognitive functions in elderly individuals and serving as a means of social exchange for those with disabilities. In the current fiscal year to March, the Tokyo metropolitan government has started a project to provide game lending services to facilities for disabled individuals in the Japanese capital.

Currently, about 120 nursing care facilities and facilities for the disabled across the nation have adopted the association’s esports system through monthly contracts. The system accommodates up to four players engaged in simultaneous gameplay, and a monthly competition fosters online interaction among participants.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 14, 2024 Number of comments0
Disability Elderly Employment Hospitals Japan Medical

Japan to Hike Outpatient Visit Fees to Increase Hospital Worker Pay

A Japanese government advisory panel Wednesday proposed hikes in hospital visit fees paid by outpatients for their initial and follow-up medical examinations, in order to increase salaries of health care workers.

For the year starting in April, Japan will revise fees for the three care-related services covered by public insurance–the medical and elderly care services and the welfare service for people with disabilities–together for the first time in six years.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 2, 2024 Number of comments0
2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disability Disasters Earthquake Elderly Japan

Japan Govt to Increase Financial Aid to Noto Earthquake Victims; Help Aimed at Households with Elderly or Disabled Members

The Japanese government will create a new program in which financial assistance of up to ¥3 million will be provided to households with elderly or disabled members in six municipalities in the northern Noto Peninsula, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.

The program is aimed to help residents of the disaster-hit area, which has a large elderly population, rebuild their lives.