Oral Frailty as a Risk Factor for Physical Frailty and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Elderly.

Background: Oral health is important for maintaining general health among the elderly. However, a longitudinal association between poor oral health and general health has not been reported. We investigated whether poor oral status can predict physical weakening (physical frailty, sarcopenia, and subsequent disability) and identified the longitudinal impact of the accumulated poor oral health (i.

[Development of an inter-professional educational program for home care professionals: Evaluation of short-term effects in suburban areas].

Objective　To examine the short-term effects of an inter-professional educational program developed for physicians and other home care specialists to promote home care in the community.Methods　From March 2012 to January 2013, an inter-professional educational program (IEP) was held four times in three suburban areas (Kashiwa city and Matsudo city in the Chiba prefecture, and Omori district in the Ota ward). This program aimed to motivate physicians to increase the number of home visits and to encourage home care professionals to work together in the same community areas by promoting inter-professional work (IPW).

Development of a gateway for interoperability in community-based care: An empirical study.

Background: Information and communications technology has attracted attention as a useful way of sharing care records in community-based care. Such information sharing systems, however, imposed the burden of inputting the same records into different information systems due to a lack of interoperability of the systems.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a gateway that links information systems and to investigate the functionality and usability of the gateway through an empirical study.

"Yubi-wakka" (finger-ring) test: A practical self-screening method for sarcopenia, and a predictor of disability and mortality among Japanese community-dwelling older adults.

Aim: We developed a simple self-screening method, the "Yubi-wakka (finger-ring)" test to assess sarcopenia swiftly. This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the validity of this test as a practical method among community-dwelling older adults for identifying sarcopenia, and for predicting disability and mortality.

Methods: We followed 1904 older adults, and analyzed associations between this "Yubi-wakka" test result at baseline in 2012 and sarcopenia at baseline, new-onset sarcopenia followed until 2014, and new-certification for the long-term care insurance and mortality followed until 2016.

The Association between Sarcopenic Obesity and Depressive Symptoms in Older Japanese Adults.

The effects of sarcopenic obesity, the co-existence of sarcopenia and obesity, on mood disorders have not been studies extensively. Our objective was to examine the association of depressive symptoms with sarcopenia and obesity status in older Japanese adults. We analyzed data from 1731 functionally-independent, community-dwelling Japanese adults aged 65 years or older (875 men, 856 women) randomly selected from the resident register of Kashiwa city, Chiba, Japan in 2012.

Catheter replacement structure in home medical care settings and regional characteristics in Tokyo and three adjoining prefectures.

Aim: The present study investigated the association between the structure of catheter replacement services in home medical care settings and regional characteristics.

Methods: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was carried out from August to September 2013. Participants were physicians from 5338 clinics that provided medical care services at home, and nurses from 1619 home-visit nursing stations in Tokyo and three adjoining prefectures.

Eating Alone as Social Disengagement is Strongly Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives: Depression in later life poses a grave challenge for the aging countries. The reported key risk factors include social disengagement, but the lack of social companionship during mealtimes, namely eating alone, has not been examined extensively, especially in relation to living arrangement. Past studies on changes along geriatric trajectories in the association between social engagement and depression also remain inadequate.

Development of a simple screening test for sarcopenia in older adults.

Aim: To develop a simple screening test to identify older adults at high risk for sarcopenia.

Methods: We studied 1971 functionally independent, community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older randomly selected from the resident register of Kashiwa city, Chiba, Japan. Data collection was carried out between September and November 2012.

[Development of a home care educational program for community physicians and other professionals-a trial in Kashiwa City].

From May to October 2011, we conducted an 8-day homecare educational program for physicians, dentists, pharmacists, visiting nurses, long-term care managers, and hospital staff in Kashiwa city, Chiba, which was primarily intended to increase home visits by physicians. The characteristics of the program were as follows: 1) active and busy community physician participation, 2) attendance of practical training by physicians, 3) interprofessional discussion, 4) recruitment of participants from the same city, 5) recommendation of participant recruitment by a community-level professional association such as Kashiwa City Medical Association. By comparison of the pre- and post-program questionnaires completed by participants, the motivation for homecare practice, knowledge about homecare, and interactions with other professionals have increased.

[A new attempt to promote home medical care in Kashiwa city-usefulness of information and communication technology with seamless multidisciplinary cooperation].

Due to the rapidly increasing super-aging society, medical policy in Japan should be redefined. Therefore, the medical and nursing home care system should now be revised greatly. We need to change the current principle that is based on cure only.

[Home medical care center project for an aging society].

We have to create a new paradigm for home medical care system towards a historical increase of elderly population in Japan. Tokyo University and Chiba University have been collaborating to erect a home medical care support center in Kashiwa, Chiba prefecture. We have been constructing a support center as well as a home care doctor system, and also created a teaching course for GPs to learn a home care doctor activity.

Interactions of household composition and required care level with functional and cognitive status among disabled Japanese elderly living in a suburban apartment complex.

Aim: In the forthcoming super-aging society, the appropriate assessment of functional and cognitive conditions of disabled elderly people will become increasingly significant in providing care services. Care level and household composition would be key factors to assess function. There might also be an interaction between the two factors with the function.

The 7th Asia Cancer Forum: from the perspective of human security, how can we collaborate as Asians in order to place cancer on the global health agenda? How can we fill in the gaps that exist among us?

This forum has continued to discuss the inclusion of cancer on the global health agenda, and specifically the Millennium Development Goals. The seventh forum presented an overview of activities to date, supplemented by reports from Korea, local governments in Japan and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry. Discussion focused on how to engage in measures to tackle cancer prevention and achieve early detection and effective treatment, using limited resources.