| Title |
A Study on the Characteristics of Residents and Their Living Circumstances in Life Support Houses for the Elderly |
| Keywords |
The Elderly ; Resident ; Living ; Life Support House ; Depopulated Region ; Japan |
| Abstract |
This paper analyzes the characteristics of residents and their living circumstances in 20 Life Support Houses(Residential Part) for the elderly in the depopulated regions of Oita Prefecture, Japan. According to the survey results, the average age of total 188 residents was 78 years old. Based on the health conditions, 52.1% of the total households needed living assistance. And average residential period in Life Support Houses was 3 years and 5 months. In previous residences, the ratio of elderly-only households was 73.4%, and the ratio of owner-occupied houses was 64.9%. Main causes of relocation to Life Support Houses was difficulty of house chores(66.5%), instability of residency(11.2%), family problems(9.0%), uneasiness of daily living(6.3%), inconvenience of space usage(4.8%), and so on. Among these problems, instability of residency,??family problems, and uneasiness of daily living are seemingly solved by relocation. However, difficulty of house chores is a problem among residents with self-supporting difficulties, especially for low ADL (Activities of Daily Living) residents. And residents feel the inconvenience of space due to lack of spacious residential units in these facilities. |