Occupational Therapy in the Japanese CommunityRelating to the Ageing Society

Abstract

Occupational therapy in the Japanese community is now changing greatly in relation to the ageing of society. From next year a new insurance system Long-term Care Insurance will be implemented, which is likely to affect the environment around occupational therapy. Here I would like to introduce the changing number of occupational therapists working in the community, the contents of occupational therapy service under the present Japanese systems, pioneer work undertaken in Hyogo and Yamanashi Prefectures, and the contents of the new insurance system and its relation to occupational therapy.