Japan Press Weekly

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2012 July 4 - 10 [GREAT EAST JAPAN DISASTER]

Elderly in 3.11 disaster-affected areas tend to be isolated

Older people in the 3.11 disaster-affected areas tend to confine themselves to their homes due to lack of transportation to go shopping and to hospitals, or due to inactive community activities.

Researchers at Tohoku Fukushi University surveyed the elderly aged 65 and older in Minamisanriku Town and Onagawa Town in Miyagi Prefecture.

To the question what they feel inconvenient or frustrated about in their daily life, “shopping” (30.8%) comes out on top followed by “livability” (27%) and “community activities” (10.1%), and 26.3% said they want a means of transportation to go to hospitals.

In community activities such as residents’ and senior citizens’ associations, 20.4% answered they “no longer participate in activities they used to before the disaster.”

More than 50% indicated that they suffer from insomnia or loss of concentration.