Paper short abstract:

This session proposes how we as society need to stop designing elder care systems and buildings where aging is treated like a disease and start creating places that reinforce our traditions and positive societal expectations.

Paper long abstract:

A belief that institutional care is the most efficient way to care for elders with physical or cognitive disabilities has led to an overreliance on nursing-home care. This model has proved to be financially costly and psychologically alienating, marginalizing elders from the rest of the society. However, the design community hasn't challenged this preconceived notion, so it continues to design in ways that reinforce our negative social expectations of elders.

As the population of elders begins to grow rapidly globally, designers, policy makers, and service providers need to ask: Do we just want to create marginally better institutions for elders, or do we want to seek alternative ways to enable elders to live as valued and valuable members of their communities? In other words, do we want to marginalize our elders and hide them out of our sight or do we want to integrate them into their communities?

"Ibasho" is a Japanese word that means "a place where one can feel at home, and be oneself." The Ibasho concept involves creating integrating elder care functions into the web of community, involving both care professionals and non-professionals, such as family, friends, and community members, in providing care and the social interactions that provide meaning to life, and enabling elders to maintain social capital with their friends, neighbors, and family members.

To achieve this Ibasho concept, physical environment plays an important role. This session will discuss about the Ibasho concept and its design applications followed by case studies that applied this concept.