Second Career and Robots to Alleviate Loneliness: Israeli Delegation to Japan Examines Solutions for Aging Challenges
An Israeli delegation of senior officials in the field of aging, sponsored by the Joint, toured Japan to examine unique solutions for aging challenges, including the 'Second Life' program for post-retirement employment, robots to alleviate loneliness, and multi-generational community centers. Netanel Levi from Sheba Medical Center emphasized the respect for the elderly in Japanese culture and the provision of meaning as a cornerstone of care.
An Israeli delegation of senior officials from government, healthcare, and civil society, as part of the Joint's 'Time Future' program, toured Japan earlier this month to examine unique solutions for aging challenges. Netanel Levi, director of the Physical Therapy Institute at Sheba Medical Center, described the 'Second Life' program that helps seniors find work after retirement age, simple jobs like traffic direction or gardening, which alleviate loneliness and provide meaning. Levi noted that local government in Japan is responsible for the welfare of the elderly, and the ministries of health, welfare, and labor operate as one unit. The delegation visited multi-generational community centers in Tokyo and beyond, offering classes, training, and a gym, as well as dementia centers. They also examined robots to alleviate loneliness and technological developments in telemedicine. Japan faces the largest aging population in the world, with nearly 30% of citizens aged 65 and over and about 100,000 people over 100.