【Research Keyword】
occupational therapy with elders, reminiscence, preventive care, frail elderly, dementia, quality of life
【Recent highlights】
In order to support elderly people to live their own life, we have been making efforts towards establishing evidence-based occupational therapy. Currently, as society rapidly ages, counter-measures against depression or dementia are becoming an important topic. Reminiscence has been given notice as one psycho-social approach with the purpose of preventing dementia or maintaining or restoring the psychological adaptability of the elderly, and this approach is being used as a counter-measure against these types of issues.
In response to these types of important issues, we have particularly concentrated our efforts on verifying the effects of reminiscence and conducting research. The goal of these efforts and research are (1) creating a program where reminiscence is useful in the prevention of dementia or depression for local elderly residents and (2) creating an environment where local elderly residents in many different areas can have access to services rather than implementing this approach at only one specific institution that has been outfitted with equipment. Moreover, we are cooperating with related institutions, taking a variety of different actions and are continuing to make efforts to contribute to society.