Japan expands palliative care and Advance Care Planning initiatives

As Japan's population ages, there is a growing emphasis on palliative care and Advance Care Planning (ACP), which encourages individuals to discuss their end-of-life medical preferences with family and healthcare providers.

In Kyoto, the City Home Medical and Long-term Care Coordination Support Center is hosting a public lecture on ACP to help citizens prepare for the final stages of life. Meanwhile, medical professionals are advocating for shifts in terminology; Dr. Kiyotoshi Hashimoto of Yuigahama General Medicine Clinic suggests replacing the term ‘terminal phase’ with ‘now-is-the-time phase’ to focus on maximizing life satisfaction and minimizing pain in the present moment.

Innovative approaches to care are also emerging. At the Mazasu Home Hospice Minami-Kashiwa in Chiba, the ‘care sweet’ service by Mirai Project Co., Ltd. integrates ‘nursing care beauty’ into hospice life. By providing bedside skincare, nail care, and makeup, the service aims to improve the psychological well-being and dignity of residents, sometimes even inspiring a renewed will to live through personal grooming and social interaction.