Kazuoki Ohara

Housing policy towards a super aging society: From building specifications to special needs measures

Japan is becoming a ‘super‐aging society’ beyond an ‘aged society’. During last decade, considerable political measures on the housing for the elderly have been launched, but the turning point is coming. There are many private detached houses in Japan. In order to upgrade the quality of ordinary houses, ‘guidelines of housing design devised to cope with aged society’ was announced by the ministry. From April 2000, under the Long‐term Care Insurance Law, house adaptation system for the frail elderly was institutionalized and the needs of it have been increasing wider and wider. Most elderly people feel anxious for the future when they need personal care that includes home help services and nursing care. Elderly residents of collective housings want to reserve the service facility in the same building. New types of dwellings have also been developed (such as senior housing, care house, group home) Recently, the old peoples homes began to consider a high value to the comfortable atmosphere as a house. Even the nursing homes are changing into houses that contain small scale homes. Group living is not an institution, but a house that must have a possibility to suit the all categories of elderly people. The scheme will become one of the mainstreams of housing for the elderly as a new type of dwelling.

A Study on the Role of Gardening and Planning of Green Environments for Daily Use by Residents in Senior Housing

Abstract This study examines and analyzes the current state of gardening facilities for residents in 11 senior citizen housing complexes and their understandings, actual gardening behaviors and their effects. The objective is to suggest a direction for the planning of gardening and its spatial composition in senior housing complexes. The study used surveys and interviews and conducted field visits to examine actual gardening facilities. The study produced the following outcomes. 1) Elderly people had high expectations that gardening would bring them ′mental comfort and physical health′. Though they are experiencing mental comfort, direct effects on physical health were not seen. 2) The common gardening space provided by the facilities subject to the research, were small in size compared to the number of residents and it was inconvenient since it did not take into consideration the characteristics of the gardening activities. 3) Elderly people found that gardening encouraged social interactions with other residents and enriched their daily lives. 4) Residents in senior housing complexes chose places as gardening spaces that are close to their flats, in particular their living rooms and on the same level for easy horizontal access. From the result of this research, it was clear that diverse gardening space should be provided for the residents to choose and freely express their individual characteristics. In addition, instead of providing a dedicated gardening space, a multipurpose area that could also be used for diverse hobbies was more practical.

IMAGES OF WORKPLACE BY STAFFS TRAINED FOR THE UNIT-CARE

This paper aims to make clear conditions of a comfortable workplace for the staff in nursing home. The method utilized was a questionare survey with the photograph language ; four different types staffs took photographs related “scenes which feels worth doing” and “places to be relieved at” and wrote about the reason. The results are as follows:1) scenes which feels worth doing; Many staffs felt worth doing related with the elderly. Some staffs evaluated care that they performed. 2) places to be relieved at; The place apart from the work place or the place and time to be alone are important as its conditions. Tatami, carpet and sofa etc. are suggested as the physical conditions because staffs can sit down. The space where nature is felt is desirable. 3) differences of different types of staffs; Staffs who cared directly felt worth doing related with the elderly. When staffs have own desk, they recognized it as the place where one can be oneself. On the other hand, staffs who cared directly and have not so much experience in the nursing home had little use of various spaces and a lot of used unit space for the elderly.

STUDY ON SPACE COMPOSITION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AT THE KYOTO BLIND AND DUMB SCHOOL

The study covers the architecture of Kyoto blind and dumb school of the Meiji era, Method of the study was by analyzing, the archives of the Kyoto Prefectural School for the Visually Impaired, the newspapers issued in Kyoto, the documents of Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives and the letters exchanged by the Kyoto prefecture or the Kyoto city and the Kyoto blind and dumb school. These materials were carefully checked to find related areas. The results from the analysis showed the following 4 aspects. 1. It converted the architectural characteristics of Kan-in and the Kyomei palaces to the Kyoto blind and dumb school. 2. For students living far away from the school, dormitories were built to create and control balance between vocational educational programs. 3. Basic plans and ideas were taken from form of the Bangumi schools and “Explanation of school design chart and design outline”(1895). 4. Deaf-mute and blind students were taught in different classrooms but they shared bathrooms and used the same dining hall.

THE EXTENSION OF CO-OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AROUND THE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING-AND-GARDEN LOCATED IN THE SUBURBAN FARMLAND

In this case study, we aimed to clear the characteristic and possibility of the extensionable co-operative management system in the suburban community life. As a result, the following points became clear.1. The flexible co-operated farmwork system which is adapted to the rhythm of seasons is made.2. The co-operated farm is added after starting the community life, and now, the residents have more needs for extension.3. The socialmix in the community was achieved because of the suburban location.4. The possibility of continuation and extension of circle of friends with urban dweller is confirmed.