These services range from makeup to beauty therapies, aiming to improve quality of life and encourage the elderly to socialize and integrate more, according to The Japan Times.
People who use these services often smile more, and the general level of satisfaction of residents in care facilities also increases significantly," said a representative of a training school specializing in teaching makeup-combined care skills.
The Japan Health Therapy Association currently organizes more than 100 workshops each year on hand care and other therapies for the elderly. Meanwhile, Tokyo Beauty & Care Academy - a human resource training facility aimed at supporting elderly people in beauty care - was established in Harajuku (Tokyo) in 2018 and has expanded to 8 facilities as of January.
At this academy, students not only learn makeup techniques to help fade wrinkles and dark spots, but also are trained in how to communicate with people with dementia, as well as aesthetic therapies suitable for sensitive skin.
Recently, the academy organized a practice session at a housing facility supporting the elderly in Saitama city, with the participation of 20 students. In this session, the students performed hand and foot massages for residents. A 91-year-old woman smiled, saying the feeling was "very pleasant", while an 88-year-old man smiled and shared that his hands had become "completely smooth".
Ayane Niitsu, 25 years old, a certified caregiver from Nagano Prefecture, who participated in the training course, said that her grandmother's experience inspired her to pursue beauty care. Previously, Niitsu's grandmother often hesitated to go to the daytime center for the elderly, but being able to draw eyebrows herself helped her feel more positive when going out.
I realize that beauty care gives people energy to act," Niitsu said.
Over time, many elderly people experience reduced strength in their hands and feet, making self-makeup or skin care more difficult than before.
Many people choose beauty care services to be able to continue to maintain the habits they have been attached to for a long time," said Mr. Satoshi Yamagiwa, 47, CEO of the company. "This not only brings positive changes to service users themselves, but also spreads good influence to their loved ones around them.
