Make a knot in a local community: borderless nursing home 'musubi' [Aging Happily]

As an aging society is progressing in the world, we will have more elderly in our community. However, circumstance surrounding them has not always been straightforward and it is sometimes restricted. This series may give you ideas how they are integrated into the local community and live like themselves!

What would you imagine when you hear nursing facilities? It sometimes gives you a negative idea because it would be a closed place and appears to be only for elderly. However, these thoughts might be a huge misunderstanding.
‘musubi‘ was established in 2010 as a paid nursing facility, and it has been trying to reduce the boundary between a nursing home and a local community. Its atmosphere makes local people want to pop in at ease.

The home has huge glass windows and these give them a warm sunshine.

Next to the facility, there is ‘musubi café’ which local people can come by and relax with great dishes.
They hold a lot of workshops and events which bring people for many generations. Also, it makes connections between people inside and outside. For instance, adorable special guests are kindergarten children. At that time, almost all elderly were full of smile and vigor.

Developing community is unnatural

Ryoichi Abe, CEO of safe section, says,

Everybody says ‘developing community’ but that idea sounds unnatural to me. I would like to make a place where people gather naturally. The idea is like there are a variety of events in a nursing facility and local people want to come and join.

Ryoichi Abe

When I was interested in “caring”, I got many negative topics such as unsatisfied working conditions.
Practically, Japan is the highest percentage of elderly population in the world. I was quite worried and anxious for our future in Japan.

Working condition can be improved, if you provide a place to communicate

Main idea of his company is to produce a life of the elderly. Nursing facilities are not only for medical care but also food, clothing and shelter. All these aspects of life need to be comfortable and well-satisfied.
For example, ‘musubi’ is a low-price paid nursing home, but it has well-experienced-hotel chef and a fresh-cooked dishes.

It also provides a place to communicate and interact in a local community. Furthermore, young carers and welfare students would be eager to work in these facilities.
Now, over a thousand of new graduates send us resume and apply for our job interview. Don’t you think it is amazing a lot of young people want to work in the field of “care” where they once reluctant to?

Japan goes to the next step for super aging society. I hope ‘musubi’ brand will spread as a role model and there will be more places for the elderly to enjoy the rest of their lives. How about your countries? How do you produce a life of elderly? I guess you have already got some tips from ‘musubi’ project.
[via Greenz.jp written by Eriko Morichika]
[English Text by Mao Ono]