Japanese American Healthy Aging

In 2009, the University of Southern California (USC) Davis School of Gerontology partnered up with the Institute of Healthy Aging at Keiro to underscore the school's interest with global aging. Through the Instititute of Healthy Aging at Keiro, Keiro Senior Healthcare is one of the biggest non profit organization which primary goal is to serve the Japanese American community in USA.

The Institute of Healthy Aging at Keiro promotes to senior citizen, especially the Japanese American to age gracefully. I believe it means that there is no stopping the process of aging, so the est way to deal with it is to be a healthy senior citizen.

According to Tomo Hirai of the News America Media, many of organizations that focus on health care are sensitive to Japanese American.

These organizations attempted to adopt strategies of healthy aging in concern of senior citizen of America. Eileen Crimmins, the USC AARP Chair of Gerontology stated the differences between Japanese and American aging process lies in several factors, such as diseases, culture, and smoking. Compare to Japan, America's life expectancy is considered poor.

Through Keiro Healthcare program, it is expected that American can learn the aging strategies of Japan. While aging in Japan is proven as successful, considering Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world, I believe thanks to (treatment wise) senior citizens of Japanese American has better service in healthcare thanks to Keiro Healthcare Program. Aside from Keiro, other organizations that provide sufficient care for the elderly is Kokoro Assisted Living, which offers classes to senior citizen, such as computer class, calligraphy, and Japanese tea ceremony, basically programs that can provide "genki" living (genki means well in Japanese).

References

http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2011/news0420_1.shtml

http://newamericamedia.org/2011/10/health-aging.php

http://www.keiro.org/

Rural Aging for the Elderly in Japan

Japan has been know to be a country with the longest life expectancy in the world. Japanese women can be expected to live until the age of 86, and and 79 for men. Japan currently has the estimation of 127 million people, in which more than 20% are at the age of 65 and above. According to the Statistic Bureau of Japan, if the trend continues, it is projected that by the end of 2050, the number will rise to 40%.

The number seems okay when the elderly in Japan is treated kindly, but unfortunately that is not the case that the Japanese is having. The elderly in Japan are reported not having enough funding to take care of their life. Acording to Stoller in Worlds of Differences, elderly are often a disadvantages over the life course, because inequality is higher among people over the age of 65 than any other age group (27.). I suppose insufficient healthcare service for the elderly is not really a new issue Catherine Makino said that the Japanese government is unable to keep up with the needs of adequate and affordable elderly health care. The lack of appropriate health care facilities could be influenced by the fact that traditionally, the children and grandchildren are expected to take care of their elders. Even so, it is still difficult for them to take care of their elderly parents and grandparents with insufficient of healthcare and nursing facility. Some Japanese families are still lucky enough to get their healthcare, such as Ms. Tanya from Tochigi, Japan. In her blog, Elder Care, she describes the healthcare system is not very good due to the rising population of the elderly. Her mother manage to get several service, but is dismayed for the amount of money she has to pay.

Reference

ipsn=49501ews.net/news.asp?idnews

http://basementgeographer.blogspot.com/2011/01/rural-aging-in-japan-and-population.html

http://tttl1998.blogspot.com/2008/05/elder-care.html

Gibson, Stoller. Advantage of Using Life Course Framework in Studying Aging . Worlds of Difference: Inequality in The Aging Experience. 3ed.2000. (27)