Chapter Thirty-Seven. Civil society roles in elderly care: A non-profit organization census

Abstract

A rapidly ageing society and the rise of an invigorated non-profit sector have been parallel trends in Japan in the last two decades. As the central and prefectural governments have begun to realize their economic and administrative limitations in coping with demographic change, localities and non-profits are called upon to fill in policy gaps. This chapter surveys Non-Profit Organization (NPOs) engaged in service provision for the elderly in Japan's 47 prefectures. It examines opinion polls and government policy pronouncements to identify public expectations about NPO roles in coping with ageing population. The chapter attempts to measure the degree of NPO involvement in elderly care provision and examines the kinds of activities that NPOs themselves define as elderly care. It concludes by assessing to what degree NPO activities reflect public expectations about their roles. Keywords: ageing society; elderly care; government policy; Non-Profit Organization (NPO)