#Japan #Nishinomiya #Cocowa Touch #TRIAS Inc #Nishinomiya City

TRIAS Inc. Partners with Nishinomiya City

The LINE monitoring service 'Cocowa Touch', offered by TRIAS Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, led by CEO Ryota Okubo), has been registered as a cooperating business for the elderly monitoring project implemented by Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture. This initiative aims to enable private businesses to notice any anomalies in the elderly as part of their regular operations, reporting these to the local Nishinomiya City Elderly Assurance Window, also known as the Community Comprehensive Support Center. The goal is to facilitate the early discovery of individuals requiring support.

TRIAS supports the fundamental aim of increasing the oversight of elderly individuals and building a monitoring network centered on them. This initiative looks to strengthen the connection between the elderly and their family members living apart, fostering effective communication and support.

Challenges Faced by Families Living Apart

Monitoring an elderly parent from a distance poses significant challenges. Recognizing changes in their health and determining the subsequent actions pose some of the toughest dilemmas. Many families find themselves in a rut, grappling with uncertainty about whom to approach or what preparations are necessary as time passes without resolution.

In Japan, municipalities have established community comprehensive support centers as local consultation points for the elderly and their families. Nishinomiya City has set up 15 such centers under the name 'Elderly Assurance Window', addressing inquiries related to caregiving insurance, welfare services, and dementia, not only for the elderly but also for their families. However, it remains a common issue that families living apart are often unaware of the existence of these resources.

Exploring Cooperation Through Family Connections

The 'Cocowa Touch' service focuses on connecting elderly individuals, who might show concerning behaviors, with their families. The mechanism involves the service provider notifying the elderly assurance window responsible for that area when they detect an anomaly in the elderly individual. Businesses such as newspaper deliveries, parcel services, financial institutions, and pharmacies are envisaged to be part of this system due to their regular interaction with the elderly.

The 'Cocowa Touch' service uniquely allows daily health status check messages to be sent via LINE to remote family members, requiring just a single touch response from the elderly individual. This provides a way for the family to receive updates and communicate any concerns that may arise regarding their elderly loved ones. Nishinomiya City has proposed a collaboration where information about elderly individuals exhibiting worrisome signs, along with the contact details of the elderly assurance window, is sent to their families to facilitate consultations and improve monitoring in the community.

Emergency Protocols and Support Services

While the service enhances communication among families, the ultimate responsibility for verifying the safety and well-being of the elderly person, including contacting emergency services if needed, lies with the family. The elderly assurance window is not a substitute for daily check-ups on elderly individuals; rather, it serves as a consultation resource for caregiving and lifestyle questions and helps connect families with local support systems.

In a statement regarding this initiative, Nishinomiya City's Community Joint Promotion Division emphasized the importance of increasing the 'watchful eyes' across the community and constructing a monitoring network centered around the elderly. TRIAS is committed to aligning its efforts with these objectives to continuously support the community.

Broader Initiatives Across Regions

Additionally, 'Cocowa Touch' has been registered as an eligible service for financial support under Shiki City's 'Elderly Monitoring Service Support Project' commencing in April 2026. This project aims to subsidize initial costs and monthly usage fees for support services up to a maximum of 15,000 yen per year.

TRIAS's sensor-based monitoring service, 'Cocowa Support', is similarly registered as an eligible device under various local subsidies, including Yokohama City's 'Elderly Monitoring and Safety Confirmation Device Subsidy Project'.

Going forward, TRIAS will continue to bridge families with governmental monitoring initiatives across various local jurisdictions, reinforcing the relationship between administrative support and family engagement in elderly care.

About Cocowa Touch

'Cocowa Touch' is a monitoring service that sends daily health check messages via LINE to the parents of those living apart, where they can respond using a simple interface with four preset options. The service is user-friendly, avoiding the need for new app installations or equipment setups, and operating entirely through the commonly used LINE application.

In the case of no response, the service will automatically send reminders, and if there's still no reply within 48 hours, a critical alert is sent to the family group in LINE.

Family members can also review health records through calendar entries and weekly reports. Moreover, the service allows sharing monitoring responsibilities among up to three family members, such as siblings or close relatives.

With a subscription fee of 550 yen per month and the first month free without any binding contract, 'Cocowa Touch' aims to provide an effective solution for families wishing to maintain oversight of their elderly loved ones.

For further information, visit the service site: LINE Monitoring Service 'Cocowa Touch'