A delegation from Japan’s Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative Union visited the City of Fremantle in February. Community Services Manager, Joanne Lorraine, said this visit provided valuable insights into how older people are cared for in Australia.
In a joint venture with Silver Chain, Fremantle Community Care showed the Seikatsu Club numerous facilities, including the Fremantle Community Day Centre and Stan Reilly Centre , where they sampled a meal from Meals on Wheels, before visiting Silver Chain House. The delegation was given briefings on home support services, the customer centre, current research, Silver Chain and Fremantle Community Care.
The Seikatsu Club represents 25 consumer cooperatives across Japan and it is starting to set up social welfare organisations, special nursing homes and day service centres in response to Japan’s ageing population.
Joanne Lorraine said the visit was an opportunity to highlight the best of what Fremantle Community Care has to offer, while also delivering a greater understanding of the importance of aged care services.
“More than 30 per cent of Japan’s population will be 65 or older by the middle of the 21st century and this visit from the Seikatsu Club is helping them broaden their outlook to see how they can best cope with future demands,” she said. “I am sure their tour of our facilities and meetings with industry representatives has proven to be of enormous benefit in helping plan the most effective strategies for aged care facilities in years to come.”
