Abstract
The Aging Society Research Group-Toyoshikidai Community in Kashiwa City was established to promote community development under close association with the University of Tokyo and the Urban Renaissance Agency. At present, Kashiwa City is conducting mainly two projects, the Lifelong Work Project and the Home Care System. Kashiwa City has performed five programs to promote home care, in cooperation with the medical association and other stakeholders, including: decreasing the burden among health care professionals, promoting of multidisciplinary cooperation, building informationsharing for community residents, and providing the base for community health care.
In this system, the dental association has developed a checklist of oral health care. The checklist is useful to assess the status of oral function for elderly individuals and their family members. If oral troubles are found after assessment, there is a route to connect the dental clinic in Kashiwa. Such a system has been established under a close relationship among various stakeholders.
Furthermore, Kashiwa City applied "home visiting rehabilitation office conducted by rehabilitation professionals" and "guidance for management of in-home long-term care conducted by dental hygienists" to the Comprehensive Special Zone System. In the latter, the dental association established an Oral Care Center. Dental hygienists from the Oral Health Center can conduct guidance for management of in-home long-term care under the employment contract of each cooperating dentist.
Moreover, Kashiwa City, the dental association, the home-visit rehabilitation association, and the dietetic association are discussing a new project, Total Health Care Station, to provide comprehensive services that include oral health, physical exercise, and nutrition. It is very important for each community resident to be provided sufficient dental care and oral health services by multidisciplinary cooperation in Kashiwa City.
