Caring for an Aging Population: U.S.-Japan Comparative Research into the Potential of a Prevention-Based Approach
Featuring: Ms. Ender Ricart, Japan Studies Visiting Fellow, East-West Center in Washington
Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Chicago, Department of Anthropology and Dr. Albert Terrillion (Discussant), Senior Director, National Council on Aging.
The challenges of an aging population in Japan have been in the headlines for years; by 2050, over 38% of Japan’s population will be over the age of 65. The US faces similar challenges; by 2050, 21% of the US population will be over the age of 65. Recent efforts to design a national long-term care (LTC) insurance system in the US have encountered the same problem with which Japan is trying to cope: How to finance and deliver the necessary services and benefits to cope with this change?
Ender Ricart discussed the possible benefits of adopting and adapting Japan’s prevention-based approach to intervening in age-related illnesses and disease. This would help cut initial and overall healthcare costs and improve quality of life in old age. Ms. Ricart also discussed the cultural differences in conceptions of aging and old age and how this influences and is influenced by old-age healthcare policy in Japan and the U.S.
Ender Ricart is a Japan Studies Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center in Washington and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago Department of Anthropology. She has written and spoken on Japan’s aging society problem and the various countermeasures being taken to promote and maintain the health and well-being of seniors. Prior to this fellowship, Ender carried out 15 months of research in Japan as a Fulbright Fellow.
Dr. Albert Terrillion (DrPh, Med, CPH) is Senior Director of the National Council on Aging’s (NCOA) Clinical and Community Partnership division. At NCOA, he works to strengthen community care networks, establishing relations between health professionals, care providers, and local organizations to provide support to older adults. Dr. Terrillion has worked throughout his career to identify successful integration models that unite community and health systems. He currently serves as liaison to the federal Community Prevention Service Task Force.