Gratitude and Elderly Care in Japan and Thailand : Cultural Influences on Family-centered Elderly Policy Formulation

Abstract

The research on gratitude and elderly care in Japan and Thailand: cultural influences on family-centered elderly policy formulation, this research explores the cultural impact on the formulation of elderly policies with a family-centered focus in Japan and Thailand. The research primarily involves document analysis, studying materials from documents, textbooks, research reports from both within the countries and internationally, as well as official websites of government agencies, and relevant laws and regulations of Japan and Thailand. The main objective is to investigate cultural factors, particularly the values related to gratitude, which is one of many factors influencing the establishment of elderly policies. This study specifically concentrates on the examination of two programs: the long-term care insurance system in Japan and family and community-based long-term elderly care programs in Thailand. The research findings reveal that cultural factors, notably gratitude, with its three subcomponents, namely 1) emphasizing the importance of independence in caring for  the elderly, 2) valuing the family's role in elderly care, and 3) providing elderly care within the home, have a significant impact on the development of elderly policies in both Japan and Thailand.