[Isolation of the Elderly and Diversification of Nursing Care Needs in Regional Cities, combined with a Lack of Integrated Welfare Support for Childcare Anxiety and Child Abuse Risks]

In Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, where our organization operates, population decline and rapid population aging with a declining birthrate are progressing simultaneously, leading to increasingly complex and diversified welfare needs. Consequently, the following severe issues have emerged within the local community:

• Social Isolation of the Elderly and People with Disabilities, and the Limits of Care: The number of elderly individuals living alone and elderly-only households is rising, increasing the risks of social isolation and solitary death. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for specialized care for elderly individuals with visual impairments and for strengthening the community-based integrated care system that supports home-based care.
• Deterioration of the Environment Surrounding Children and Families: Due to the shift toward nuclear families and the weakening of local community ties, issues such as isolated parenting, financial hardship, and the resulting risks of child abuse and deteriorating child-rearing environments have become nationwide challenges. Hirosaki City is no exception to these trends.

[Residents of Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, and Surrounding Areas Who Require the Following Welfare Support]

• The Elderly and Visually Impaired Elderly: Elderly individuals (including low-income brackets) who require admission to intensive care homes for the elderly or nursing homes for the visually impaired, or who need home-based nursing care and daily life support.
• Children and Child-Rearing Households: Children who require protection and support in a proper upbringing environment, as well as local parents and families facing anxiety or seeking counseling regarding daytime childcare and child-rearing.

Guided by our core philosophy of "Love, Action, and Gratitude," our organization delivers the following multifaceted welfare services on a 365-day basis to ensure our users receive peace of mind and trust, thereby contributing to the enrichment of local community welfare.

Elderly Welfare and Community-Based Integrated Care Services

• Implementation Methods and Locations: We provide residential facility support (with a total capacity of several hundred residents) at locations including Hirosaki Seiko-en (Intensive Care Home for the Elderly), Tsugaru Hikari-so (Nursing Home for the Visually Impaired), and Onsei-en.
• Home and Community-Based Support: We operate day care services, home-help services, home-visit care support offices, and the Hirosaki City No. 3 Community-Based Integrated Support Center. Through these, we provide care management to tens of thousands of home-based elderly individuals annually, alongside 24-hour counseling, monitoring, and rights advocacy activities.

Child Welfare and Child-Rearing Support (Childcare) Services

• Social Care: At Aisei-en (Children's Home) and Taiyo (Children and Family Support Center), we consistently provide secure protection, daily life support, and consultation assistance aimed at family reintegration for children whose families face difficulties raising them due to home environments or other reasons.
• Infant and Toddler Childcare: We operate five preschools: Hanazono, Ringo Baby Home, Hirosaki, Akimi, and Miharudai. Catering to infants and toddlers from a few months old up to preschool age, we regularly offer extended weekday childcare and Saturday childcare, providing a safe environment and childcare counseling for local families.

The outcomes of this project will be objectively measured and evaluated using the following quantitative and qualitative indicators: