Research project

Creating Age-friendly Communities for Older People: A Case and Implementation Study on Ibasho

In the framework of the Japanese concept and project Ibasho (founder: Dr. Emi Kiyota), integrative, local caring communities are developed, launched, and maintained together with and by older adults.

This approach, which has so far only been implemented in Asia, is being studied by the IGD and the IAF and brought to Switzerland in collaboration with the Diaconia of the Protestant Reformed Church of the Canton of St. Gallen.
In order to understand and analyze Kiyota's approach, the IAF will conduct field research in the existing Ibasho (Japan, Nepal, Philippines and Singapore). After in-depth evaluation and adaptation to the Swiss context, we will develop the first Ibasho in Europe based on the co-creation approach with Diakonie and older adults.