Abstract
Due to the increasing rate of population aging in Japan, it is important to examine the motivation of elderly people and the differences in their living environment as well as their nutritional status and physical functions, in order to effectively support the daily lives of elderly people living independently in the community. We conducted a survey involving advance-age elderly people living independently in KT (remote area) and K (urban area) in Kyoto Prefecture who are considered or registered as persons who require care, and investigated their nutritional status and physical and oral functions over the past three years. This study aimed to understand their physical status, and obtain basic information to provide effective support for them. Factors affecting the favorable health of elderly people included their nutritional status, physical condition, social factors, and mental health, and these factors were closely associated with each other, suggesting the importance of providing multifaceted support for them. To develop supportive services and networks for elderly people, it is important not to provide the same services uniformly for all elderly individuals, but to understand their regional and living environment differences and current needs of the environment surrounding them, and to urgently discuss the provision of effective support for them.
