A Study on the Types and Supply of Elderly Housing in Japan

In Japan, a lot of housing types have been developed in order to meet various needs of the older person and the change of social situations. Elderly housings can be divided into three categories housings for healthy older persons, care homes for the healthy and care for the unhealthy. Elderly housings include public and private rental housings. Sometimes they can be designated only for the elderly. Elderly care homes for the healthy include full fee charging housing, homes, low fee charging homes and care houses. Elderly care for the unhealthy consist of full fee charging care homes, group homes for the dementia, health facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and so on. However elderly care facilities have been proved not to be efficient for the delivery of welfare services nor satisfactory to the frail older person. Therefore, based on the concept of the Normalization, daily services have been provided for the in order that they can live at their own home in the community for themselves. As a result, Japan aims not only to reduce welfare expenses but also to increase users' satisfaction. Emphasis on non-institutionalization and in-home services, regional characterization, harmony between Hard and Soft, user oriented services, substantiality, universal design and so on are sought for the sake of those goals.