Selected Papers from the Japanese Conference on the Advancement of Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology

This book is the first publication in English of the proceedings of the Japanese Conference on the Advancement of Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology (JCAART), held in Niigata in 2008. This annual scientific meeting enables professionals from health-related fields to report and exchange their experiences and ideas for collaborative practice, as well as providing an opportunity for faculty and students to report the outcomes of their inter-professional learning. Japan has become the world's first super-aged society, with a mean life expectancy of 79 for men and 86 for women. Healthy life expectancy is the extent of the capacity for independent living and is usually several years shorter than mean life expectancy. A two year extension of independent living is currently the official target set by health policy-makers in Japan. A team approach in health and social care is vital in the super-aged society. The rapid increase in the elderly population in Japan has been met by increased health and social care expenditure, but the delivery of improved and seamless services presents many challenges. As a result, Japan is uniquely placed to share the knowledge and experience it has gained