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The current session of the Diet deliberated the new guardianship system
as an alternative to the incompetence and quasi-competence system. I assume
that advent of an aging society is the societal background against which
these issues are being discussed. I wonder if you could enlighten me about
current social environment regarding such moves.
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Ikeda
The type of aging society Japan anticipates the 21st Century is truly
unprecedented in terms of magnitude and velocity, with so many people in
their 80s, 90s and 100s. This is categorically different from the
situation in the West. Soon, we will see a fourth or even a third of our
population more than 65 years of age.
The average size of a family is shrinking more rapidly in Japan than in the
West. As many as ten percent of Japanese men remain single throughout their
lives, meaning the number of single elderly will increase. A population in
their 80s will tend to be more senile, and the significance of the
guardianship system will be increase.
State licensed social welfare workers (see Footnote 1) deal with social
welfare issues in general, including child care, family problems, elderly
issues and render assistance to the handicapped and to those who receive
life support aid. They can be specialists in a wide range of areas such as
welfare administration, welfare-related instructors, case workers,
welfare facility operators, etc., and they are all very interested in the
new guardianship system since it will have a major impact on every area in
which they are engaged.
Footnote 1. Article 2 of the Law of Licensed Social Workers : "Licensed workers
rendering necessary services in the area of welfare to those who are
impaired mentally or physically and have difficulties conducting daily
life."
The current session of the Diet has put the proposed law into pending
status since the bill was only adopted by the Lower House.
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Ikeda
In a way, this regrettable, since the Association has actively lobbied
for the early passage of this bill. The longer it takes, the more delay
there will be in developing the necessary infrastructure for
implementation.
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