Survey Research on Livelihood Support System Development for Society with Excessively High Ratio of Older Population

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1.Selecting the Iwami District as a representative district with over 30% of the population aged 65 and over in Shimane prefecture, hearing surveys were conducted to study the authorities' welfare/elderly policies end the activities of the social welfare councils, as well as to understand such issues as the community regeneration efforts, actual population aging status of each community, and living conditions of the elderly through informal talks with the local communities. The villages/towns visited were Kanagi-cho in Naka-gun (2001), Nima-cho and Yunotsu-machi in Nima-gun, Muikaichi-cho and Kakinoki-mura in Kanoashi-gun (2002), Mito-cho and Hikimi-cho in Mino-gun and Asahi-cho in Naka-gun (2003). The surveys of all the villages/towns in the Iwami District except those in cities have been completed.2.In 2001, a survey entitled "Elderly Households Lifestyle Survey" was conducted in Sakurae-cho in Ohchi-gun. Covering all the households in 9 highly aging communities, it was conducted to … More study the actual lifestyle of the elderly, such as the health/living conditions, care by family members at home, outing/shopping activities and communication with local children/communities. Changes in the living/care conditions during the recent 5 years were also studied.3.In 2001, a survey entitled "Single Elderly Households Lifestyle Survey" was conducted in Mizuho-cho in Ohchi-gun to study such issues as the livelihood support needs, actual living conditions, communication with their children living away from the town and future care needs.4.In 2001, a survey entitled "Survey on Social Support for Elderly Parents in Hometown (Survey of People Living away from Their Parents and Hometown)" was conducted in Sakurae-cho, Mizuho-cho and Ohchi-cho in Ohchi-gun. People living away from these towns leaving their elderly parents in elderly-only households were subjected to a mail questionnaire survey and asked how they thought of their elderly parents and support systems.5.In August 2001 and February 2002, people concerned in the local governments and communities of Sakurae-cho, Mizuho-cho and Ohchi-cho (Iwami District, Shimane prefecture) and Nishiaizu-machi, Mishima-machi, Kaneyama-machi and Showa-mura (Aizu District, Fukushima prefecture) jointly held workshops to report their research findings and promote mutual communication, as they were among few of the communities sharing the same problems of the regions with excessively high ratio of older population, hilly and mountainous areas and heavy snowfall. Our research group was actively involved and presented vigorous opinions, acting as a coordinator, taking the events as the opportunities for promoting the research and having practical experience.6.Articles on ageing population, welfare/care, hilly and mountainous area issues and community movements found mainly in the Iwami District were collected from The San-in Chuo Shimpo, the leading local paper in Shimane prefecture. At the same time, database was developed for the collected articles. Less