Cultural Values on Seniors' Lives

The growing proportion of senior citizens is a problem in many countries. The situation in Japan is one of the most difficult ones. In health-related and nursing field, Finland is known for its high quality care for seniors and has one of the most developed healthcare and welfare facilities in the world. Also, Finland is an ideal welfare model for Japan. The aim of the present study is to examine intercultural understanding for communication and co-project in a Finnish-Japanese health and wellbeing center project. The study proposes the following research questions: How do cultures affect seniors' healthcare? How is cultural difference interpreted? How does the Finnish Wellbeing Center (FWBC) fit in to Japan? How does Japanese society receive the FWBC opportunity? What are the implications-image of retirement homes and values in Japan? Analysis of the data was done by content analysis. Project workers respect each other's cultures. Seniors need a comfortable environment and families hope new concepts to lighten their work. This study should be useful to professionals in Intercultural Communications, Healthcare, Nursing and International Business fields.