ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a number of the important changes that occurred in Japan, as well as the development of community-care services for the elderly. Japan is a country undergoing even further change as political and global economic transitions occur. The coverage of the Law for the Welfare of the Aged at the time of enactment was very limited compared to the scope of services that became available to Japanese elders. The first community-care service for the elderly in Japan was a home help service for destitute older adults. In 1990, significant development in aging services in Japan occurred: the promulgation of the Ten-Year Plan for the Promotion of Health and Welfare Services for the Elderly, commonly called the "Gold Plan." The long-term care insurance scheme covers five types of community-care services for the elderly: in-home services, daycare services, short-term stay services; provision of technical aids to impaired older adults living in the community, and housing improvement for impaired older adults.
