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Aging society of Japan------the actual situation of the abuses, which reflect social conditions.

The number of elder people abuse cases has shown no sign of significant decline. An old son who are tired with having taken care of his parent for long time hit him,kick him or leave him with out care. Or the child abuse his parent with words such as "Go to hell". Some case lead to murders or forced double suicides. It is painful to know such cases.

Till recently,such elder people abuse didn't interest people as much as child abuse did. They didn't come to the surface,because they occure mainly in houses. The nursing-care insurance system has started since the Spring in 2000 so that nurses or outsiders come into houses and the real situation come to the surface.

Experts of nursing or reserchers who face the severe real situation around elders took action last month to start the Prevention of elder abuse Society of Japan. The government, although it is late, is going to carry out the first investigation about the real situation through home nursing support centers. It is hoped that such movement will become the start point for preventing from elder abuse.

In the meeting of the society, Professor Tsumura of Osaka Nursing college expressed four points of Japanese features which promote abuses that 1)the speed of aging of the society is so fast that the service for the nursing cannot catch up with, 2)although the number of nuclear family and single family has rapidly increased, the old value such as " daughter-in-law should look after their parents-in-law" is not dispeled,3)independence spirit and human rights consciousness are very low,4)it is difficult to break with the family consciousness to worry about the appearance. They are a deeply rooted problem, which is related with the basic of the society. Therefore they are difficult to prevent from.

Accoding to the investigation by the general affairs ministry (15th this month), the number of people who are 65 years old or older consists of 20% of the population of Japan. It is up to the highest level in the world. And the number of the people who are 100 years old or older is more than 20000 this year. This is the first time. But it is a reality that the elder abuse has spreat, as the society has gotten aged.

According to the investigation by Gunma Prefecture this March, the number of abuse cases which were confirmed by nurses from April in 2000 to December last year was 363. Most of the people who were abused were 70 years old or older and 70% of them were women. Many of abusers were sons and their wives and 40% of the abuses were done almost everyday.

The typical reported example were that "being emaciated in the result of insufficient food","abuse by children with stress from nursing","being bound to a bed at night","being bedridden in a kotatsu without taking bath","being managed one's pension and cannnot buy any foods","urine was sprinkled over the matress by one's daughter -in-law, which was supposed to be toiletsaccidents due to senile dementia","the paper which was written "Go out home" was put all over the places which could catch one's eye.

Information about where to report the abuse is insufficient. The real situation is that hygienists are dealing with all abuse cases besides his main job in some local governments. It shoud be made clear which department should be in charge of. And bringging up the person in charge should be hurried up.

The government have first to grasp the real situation of elder abuse by investigatin the ratio of elders is being abused and how they are treated. And it is necessary to examine why the system to send the victims of abuse to the public care facilities according to the elders welfare law has not been fully used. In addition,appropriate countermeasures have to be made up soon. If it is necessary, the law like one to prevent from child abuse or domestic violence should be prepared.