Community First and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hawaii, with the support of Hawaii County and the Blue Zones Project, will present an educational and cultural exchange opportunity from 9:30-11:30 a.m. WednesdayNov. 30 at the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Hilo, 1055 Kinoole St., No. 101.
Community First and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hawaii, with the support of Hawaii County and the Blue Zones Project, will present an educational and cultural exchange opportunity from 9:30-11:30 a.m. WednesdayNov. 30 at the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Hilo, 1055 Kinoole St., No. 101.
Speakers will include Takuya Nakamura, director of the Advance Health City Program in Fukuoka City, Japan; Cullen Hayashida, Ph.D., aging service adviser at St. Francis Healthcare System; and subject experts from Hawaii County.
“The ‘Silver Tsunami’ has begun,” said Charlene Iboshi, Community First board member. “The number of local residents age 60 or older is projected to increase from 40,000 to 79,000 by 2030.”
The World Health Organization reported that to create a positive experience for individuals with longer lifespans, active aging should be “the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.”
“We will create an environment where various generations take active rolls as supporters in the community based on their willingness and abilities,” Nakamura said.
This presentation will provide an overview of active, positive aging as a way to address the increasing shortage of health care workers and the high cost of long-term care.
Hawaii’s sister city, Fukuoka, is trying to achieve this goal.
According to Nakamura, Fukuoka and Hawaii face similar challenges. The population of older individuals living alone will more than double from 83,000 to 176,000 by 2040, and elderly health care costs in Fukuoka are the highest in all of Japan. His hope is that there can be deep exchange between Fukuoka and Hawaii in the field of aging.
Hayashida has spent his career in elder care education and administration.
“We can no longer think of elders as non-contributors,” Hayashida said. “Older adults want to be useful. They have lots of experience, knowledge and contacts.”
The Fukuoka model seeks to satisfy elders’ continued need for meaning and purpose while addressing the shortfall in health care workers.
“Our community’s government, providers and leaders have the chance to hear strategies and ask questions of experts on super-aging and healthy aging strategies from Japan and Hawaii. I encourage you to attend,” Iboshi said.
To learn more about the event or to RSVP, call Tony Kent at 675-2752.