Health Promotion for Older Population in Japan: Importance of Preventive Care and Successful Assisted Living

Japan will face a super-aged society in the near future, in which 40% of the population will be over 65 years of age. However, prolongation of life expectancy is inevitably associated with greater numbers of frail old people who need help or assistance in their daily activities. The percentage of the old-old population in 2020, comprising more frail people compared with the young-old population, exceeded 14% of the total population in Japan. In such a situation, many older Japanese wish to be healthy for their entire life and continue to live in their hometown with a sense of security until the end of their life. Under such circumstances, we should establish a society in which old people can enjoy a healthy, satisfying life through social participation and contribution. In this review article, we discuss about the importance of preventive care and successful assisted living in health promotion policy for older population in Japan, a superaged country.