Tags：Medical and HealthChugoku

On April 12th, a symposium titled “Medicine as Care” was held in Hiroshima City, and was attended by approximately 400 participants, including healthcare and nursing professionals as well as local citizens (including live stream viewers).

 

 

Following a video message from Member of the House of Councillors Seiko Hashimoto, there were lectures and reports (summarized at the end), after which a panel discussion took place (Chair: Takafumi Tsuya, Director of Aiwakai Hiroshima Clinic).

 

During the panel discussion, under the shared recognition that “the essence of care lies in the connection between people,” Hiroshi Katamura, Director of MOA Shin-Takanawa Clinic (Medical Association), emphasized the limitations of current healthcare and the importance of care within local communities. Akifumi Sakamoto, Director of Ikura No Sato, a core facility for realizing a community-based coexistence society, highlighted the importance of creating a reassuring atmosphere and a non-coercive stance. Yuri Horishima, President of Cosmo Care Energy, a company providing nursing welfare services, spoke with a smile about wanting to continue to take on challenges as new aspirations arise even at the age of 80.

 

At the conclusion, Director Tsuya stated that the health of the entire society leads to better health for individuals, calling on each participant to contribute to the realization of a supportive society, thus closing the symposium.

 

Not only in the fields of healthcare, nursing, and welfare, but also daily care conducted within local communities significantly influences people’s health levels. MOA wishes to think and act together with many people about “Medicine as Care,” which evokes the power to heal and live, and the strength of communities that support it. This symposium served as a pioneering step toward that goal.

 

 

Voices from the audience included:

 

“I have felt the importance of the transition from cure to care in the field of medicine for some time. To draw out the healing power of patients themselves, improvements in lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise, as well as mental care, are essential. The main agent of treatment is the patient themselves; the doctor is merely a caregiver and supporter, and ‘Medicine as Care’ must become the norm.” (Physician)

 

“During my time as a nurse, I witnessed many healthcare providers struggling to hold on while wearing themselves thin. I have come to realize that the cycle of caring for someone also includes care for oneself, which becomes a true source of life for patients receiving care. As Dr. Katamura mentioned, if this becomes the true form of medicine, everyone can trust in their body’s healing power, move towards health, like themselves more, and become happier.” (Therapist, former nurse)

 

“When interacting with people with dementia, there are many times when I feel my heart breaking as my thoughts fail to get through. While healthcare is certainly important, there are things that cannot be compensated for by it alone. I believe that if the mindset that values care spreads, many people will move in a positive direction.” (Care worker)

 

 

Lecture / About the “Mutual-Help Model” through the Integration of Medical and Social Models**
Hiroshi Katamura, Director of MOA Shin-Takanawa Clinic (Medical Association)

 

 

Although the quality and technology of healthcare in Japan are high, patient satisfaction remains low. This is due to insufficient mental care, such as the responses of staff, including physicians, and the lack of adequate time to listen to patients. Health is greatly influenced by individual behavior and social environment, but there are limitations to what can be addressed by healthcare institutions alone and individual self-care. Here, community and care play a significant role.

 

At the Tokyo Wellness Center, a certified facility of integrative medicine‘s both medical and social model, Okada Health and Wellness Program (dietary program, arts and culture program, Purifying Therapy) is provided. The volunteers supporting the activities of the wellness center practice health methods together with local residents in the MOA Healthy Life Network of their community, thereby improving the overall care capacity of the region.

 

Research shows that happiness and health spread from person to person, and it is said that people grow through mutual care. In communities where care is shared, there are documented facts that lead to a reduction in illnesses, improvement in quality of life (QOL), suppression of medical costs, an increase in birth rates, extension of healthy life expectancy, a decrease in crime and suicide rates, an increase in school enrollment and employment rates, and economic growth. The connections between people and the care that takes place there are essential elements for realizing a society of healthy longevity.

 

A medical model aims to improve treatment effects and QOL by combining various methods without relying on high-tech technology. A social model supports each other’s self-care in the community and aims to rectify social disparities in health. I wish to disseminate this integrated “Mutual-Help Model” throughout society.

 

 

Lecture / Report on “Ikura No Sato” Towards Regional Revitalization and the Realization of a Community-Based Coexistence Society
Akifumi Sakamoto, Director and Instructor of Ikura no Sato, Former Mayor of Nanbu Town, Tottori Prefecture

 

 

Toward the end of my tenure as mayor, a staff member’s leave of absence triggered a growing desire to support young people who cannot be saved by the frameworks of healthcare and welfare alone, leading to the establishment of Ikura No Sato. To avoid putting pressure on individuals, we do not set clear goals such as employment support or social reintegration. Instead, we provide a safe place to spend time outside of the home and facilitate interactions with local residents through activities like grass cutting for community environmental maintenance and vegetable gardening, gradually supporting the recovery of their connections with society.

 

At Ikura No Sato, there are only three staff members, including myself, but this care is sustained by the strength of the local people and community. By interacting with various individuals, young people are slowly liberated from social isolation and gain a sense of security and confidence, allowing them to start moving forward on their own. Those individuals are now supporting our current activities as volunteers. This fact highlights that the existence of a safe place and a community that acknowledges one’s existence is of utmost importance.

 

 

Report / Aiming for Nursing and Welfare as Care
Yuri Horishima, President of Cosmo Care Energy
Mitsuko Matsui, Manager of Cosmo Care Energy Day Care Service

 

 

Cosmo Care Energy is focused on day care services for children and adults with disabilities, a coexistence-type service for the elderly (aged 65 and over with nursing certification) and individuals with disabilities (aged 18 to 64), as well as agricultural and welfare collaboration projects. While valuing opportunities to engage with nature through activities like farming and harvesting experiences, we offer programs that promote health for both the mind and body, including flower therapy, rhythmic exercises, music therapy, and yoga. For lunch, we provide natural food prepared mainly with seasonal vegetables and condiments purchased from the MOA Green Market. To enhance the mental and physical health of our employees, who are caregivers, and to strengthen their ability to connect with users, we are also focusing on employee training in collaboration with the Hiroshima Wellness Center.

 

As a verification of the quality of services provided to date, we have conducted joint research with organizations such as the MOA Health Science Center. As a result, we have come to understand that engaging with flowers, increasing the energy flowing through the human body via natural energy, and consuming healthy meals contribute to creating health and healing.

 

Organizer: Symposium Executive Committee on “Medicine as Care”
Supported by: Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City, MOA International, Aiwakai (Medical Association), MOA Health Science CenterMOA Health Science Center, MOA Nature Farming Culture Foundation