The Necessity of Measures Against Loneliness: The 2040 Problem and the Future of Local Communities

The Necessity of Measures Against Loneliness: The 2040 Problem and the Future of Local Communities

Japanese society is rapidly aging, and the number of single-person households is increasing particularly rapidly. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that about 45% of elderly households will be headed by a single person by 2040, sounding the alarm that the risk of solitary death is higher than ever. This is due to the shift to nuclear families and the concentration of population in urban areas, as well as the weakening of local communities. Since the period of rapid economic growth, people who moved from rural areas to cities for job transfers or higher education have grown increasingly distant from their relatives, increasing their tendency to isolate themselves in old age.

This phenomenon has become visible as a social problem since the 1990s, and the recession following the collapse of the bubble economy and the expansion of non-regular employment has led to an increase in the number of elderly people who have become economically isolated. Especially since the 2000s, the term "lonely death" has been widely reported, and cases found in apartment complexes and suburban estates in the Tokyo metropolitan area have attracted much attention. Lonesome deaths are not only an issue of personal dignity, but are also linked to sanitation and disaster prevention risks due to delayed detection, as well as to increased social costs.

Under these circumstances, a community "watch over" system has become indispensable. Local governments and social welfare councils are promoting isolation prevention by seeking multilayered networks involving community welfare volunteers, volunteers, home delivery service providers, post office staff, and others. In recent years, ICT-based monitoring services have expanded to include electricity and gas usage and sensors to monitor daily rhythms. Safety confirmation through social networking services such as LINE and local apps is also spreading.

However, challenges remain. A lack of personnel to provide oversight, financial constraints, and barriers to the protection of personal information have hindered the institutionalization of this system. The government is promoting the integration of medical care, nursing care, and lifestyle support under the slogan of "community-based comprehensive care systems," but there are wide regional differences, and the system has not caught up, especially in urban areas. Measures against solitary deaths are spreading not only to the elderly but also to middle-aged singles against the backdrop of rising rates of nonmarriage and unmarriage, and are at the core of the 2040 problem.

Preventing lonely deaths is also an attempt to rebuild social solidarity. The question that confronts Japanese society in the future is whether it can build a society in which the elderly can live with dignity to the end of their lives without being cut off from their communities and families.