The first Joint workshop of ISO/TC 314 Ageing Societies and IEC System Committee Active Assisted Living was held on the 20th of June 2023 . Professor Hiroko Akiyama presented on “Challenges and Opportunities in an Aged Society” as the opening keynote of the workshop.
Professor Akiyama's has been conducting cohort surveys on well-being of Japanese older persons since 1987. The number of survey participants exceeds 7400 who answered on their independent living measures in a face-to-face interview every three years. She found about 70% of male and about 90% of female participants gradually decline on their independent living measures around the age of mid 70s. She explained the importance of policy measures to facilitate healthy ageing, social participation, home-based care and others so that the onset of decline can be postponed.
Professor Akiyama emphasized the needs of solutions and actions to redesign communities for aged society. Her figure below shows the overall picture of a redesigned community.
Figure: Redesigning community for aged society.
She has conducted projects in Japan ranging from Productive aging, Lifelong learning, Human Bonds to Use of ICT. She mentioned the importance of the living-lab scheme where innovations can be co-created with older persons.
She concluded her presentation that “A 100 years life society” is a gold mine of innovations and opportunities.