Helping the Elderly Live Better With Dementia: Recent Developments in Japan’s Adult Guardianship System and Its Role in Geriatric Social Work Practice

Abstract

With the rapid aging of Japanese society and increasing concerns over the welfare of people with psychiatric disorders, intellectual disability, and dementia, a renewed adult guardianship system based on the notion of respect for self-determination, the practical use of one’s remaining abilities, and re-socialization, has now been in place for 20 years. Japanese adult guardianship practices are understudied in English language literature; thus, this article presents an overview of recent developments in Japan’s adult guardianship system and geriatric social work initiatives adopted in Japan’s adult guardianship practice. The authors found that the guardianship system not only helped the elderly live better with dementia but also contributed to the realization of “ageing in place” in the community-based integrated care system.