Study of the life with continuing relation in super-aged society

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26350039
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Home economics/Human life
• Research Institution: Joetsu University of Education
• Principal Investigator: Sadako TOKUMARU 上越教育大学, 大学院学校教育研究科, 教授 (00293267)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 超高齢社会 / つながり / continuing bonds / CCRC / 世代間交流 / エンディングノート

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We researched life worth living for seniors from three perspectives: Continuing care retirement communities (CCRC), Continuing bonds, and Intergenerational exchange. Although the American CCRC system seems ideal in some respects, its high cost renders it unpractical for most Japanese elders. The few attempts at CCRC in Japan are all transition types that may pose issues about past relationships. Regarding Continuing bonds, we found that listening to priests’ sutra chanting was useful for Japanese survivors’ grief care. As regards intergenerational exchange, analysis of writing ending notes showed that the young and old generation exhibited distinctly different contents. Therefore, we propose that young and old write ending notes together as activities of intergenerational exchange, because it should prompt young people to understand the elderly better, contribute to elderly happiness, and help to preserve and transmit cultural inheritance.

Free Research Field

生活科学