- Japan tackles loneliness.
- Toddlers at nursing home.
- Generations connect, ease isolation.
A survey conducted by the Japanese government in 2022 revealed that forty percent of the population reported feeling lonely at least occasionally, indicating that loneliness is a developing problem in Japan.
Giggles and the pitter-patter of tiny feet are commonplace sounds in one Japanese nursing facility.
The infant workers employed at Ichoan Nursing Home in Kitakyushu are intended to provide companionship and amusement to the elderly residents, who seldom receive visits from their own descendants.
Rena Shinohara, age 18, is one of the toddlers who provides happiness to a portion of the 100 residents at the facility.
She cheerfully passes through the building’s entrances once per week, a demeanor that is noticed and appreciated by the residents who use walkers and wheelchairs.
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Ninety-three-year-old Tatsuo Ojiro, whose grandchildren are rarely present, told NBC News, “Seeing the [toddlers] gives me a great deal of energy, so this is tremendously helpful.”
An additional resident, Atsuko Okamura, remarked, “They are so adorable when they visit.”
The purpose of the infants’ presence is to alleviate the prevalent sense of isolation associated with aging, particularly in Japan, where one-third of the population is 65 years or older.
A survey conducted by the Japanese government in 2022 revealed that forty percent of the population reported feeling lonely at least occasionally, indicating that loneliness is a developing problem in the country.
After the COVID pandemic, in 2021, the government appointed its first “minister of loneliness,” tasked with fostering connections among individuals of all ages.
Kimie Gondo, the director of the nursing home, conceived the notion of infant workers three years ago after observing the delight it brought to the residents during a visit with her newborn granddaughter.
Ms. Gondo stated, “I realized the strength infants possessed the moment I observed the elderly smiling.”
“Just by seeing a baby walking around, they smile and they start to speak.”
The nursing home presently employs approximately seventy baby workers, who are fed diapers and ice cream at the end of their duties.
Residents are “outstanding instructors of life.”
Rena’s mother, Kanae Shinohara, remarked, “It’s ironic that Rena has a job while I’m unemployed.”
A year after the family relocated to the prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Rena’s mother accompanied her to the nursing home so she could meet new people.
“Here, she interacts with children her age as well as more elusive grandparents and grandfathers,” Ms. Shinohara said, referring to the nursing home residents as “excellent life instructors.”
Despite their flexible work schedules, the company forces Rena and her small team members to resign before they reach the age of three.
“Words are superfluous.”
A crucial criterion for Ms. Gondo’s recruitment process is that the infants remain silent.
This is because, according to Gondo, senior individuals may have difficulty speaking and communicating, particularly if they have cognitive impairment.
“In order to communicate on the same level, words are unnecessary,” she commented.
Gondo stated that the presence of infants in nursing homes evokes the shared Japanese experience of multigenerational families residing in the same dwelling.
“Even if they enter a facility like this, they should be able to interact with people from various age groups on a daily basis,” according to her. “I think that’s only natural.”
