ABSTRACT
This tragic incident made headlines in 2001, highlighting a growing problem that is epitomized by yet another ominous entry in the dictionary of the hyper-aged society, kaigo jigoku or ‘nursing hell’. An Internet search yields 350,000 hits for this term, many of which lead to books, columns in print media and Internet blogs offering advice to people who feel crushed under the burden of having to look after bedridden, decrepit or mentally deteriorating relatives in ways nothing had prepared them for. As an outcome of population ageing, caring for the elderly has become a predicament for so many people that the society at large is affected.
